Vampirotica
by Raining Tear Drops4
Summary: His hands had a grip on my shoulders and I suppose we looked like midnight lovers embraced as we were. But I would only remember this night as the night I became a vampire. [SK]
1. Prolouge: The Beginning

_I can still remember their muffled screams as if I were still in bed inside that house. _

_It was a cold November night and everyone had gone to bed a little after dusk so as to be fresh in the morning. My mother's sister, her husband and children were sleeping in the guest room as they had come to visit for the week. None of us knew this would be our last night together as a family._

_Mama had just finished washing the dishes after dinner and came up to tuck me in. She said, "Sleep tight Kago. Tomorrow will be full of new changes for you. It is the rite of passage. You will understand soon enough." Her teeth seemed to glint dangerously in the candle light. She was as cryptic as ever and I kept silent knowing she wouldn't tell me her meaning even if I did ask._

_Back then Kago was my nickname. Only she called me it, it was our little secret. She once let it slip when papa was around and he showed us just how foolish it was to have pet names. Since that day mama never spoke of it unless it was just us. She gave me a kiss on the forehead and ran her hand down my cheek lovingly. I smiled at her and she smiled back. She blew out the candle on my bedside table and left the door cracked in case I had another nightmare. I was prone to having them every once in a while. _

_I rolled over and pulled the blanket up to my chin and snuggled deeper into my bed. _

_The last thing I remember before falling asleep was the sight of the winking stars outside of my window. _

_I woke with a jumble when I heard the crash in the other room. I gasped as my body met the cold air outside of the warm haven of my bed. It was never this cold at night. Sure it got pretty cool but the fire downstairs was normally kept alight to keep this from happening. _

_So it was no surprise that I could see my breath as I moved to grab my robe off the post of my bed. _

_I was sixteen this year, I had just turned so last month October 31, 1888. I took the time to lace the ties that came up the front. The front was more like what a corset would have been in the back. It fit snuggly and had always kept me warm. I had grown a bit over the last year and it was starting to fit more tightly than usual in the chest area. _

_After slipping on my robe and putting on my slippers I crept to the door. There was a candle alight on the floor and the wax was flowing over the edge and onto the floor; that was probably what caused the fire. I saw the smoke and ran to my little sister's room. Her room lay in ruins. As I made it to her bedside, I stumbled back and fell to my bottom my hand over my mouth. Her body was covered in blood and her blankets lay in ruin. Her face was as pale as the moon and her eyes devoid of life. He mouth was slightly agape in a silent scream. _

_Unable to handle her image I stumbled from the room and down the hall to the next room. But her picture was forged into my mind._

_I was frantic as I opened the room to where my aunt, uncle and nieces were. Twins. Killed in each others arms. Bathed in each others blood. I ran from the room._

_I already knew what to expect in my parents room. _

_I threw the door open with no reserve, fearful of what I would find. _

_I think it was then I screamed. My father was on the floor, his throat ripped open. My mother was on the bed I stepped to her and ran my hand down her cheek as she had done to me earlier. It was still warm and pink. It was her image that broke me._

_I stumbled back into the wall, fell to the floor and wept. I wept for my nieces, my aunt, my uncle, my sister, my father, my mother…Their images playing over and over in my head._

_Tormenting me. I cried out, "Mama, papa, forgive me, I didn't know."_

_I wept for so long; my face and hands had become numb. It was then I heard the voice from the door. It was calling to me quietly whispering to me sliding over my skin leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake telling me of riches untold. I crawled to him, the robed figure, and begged his forgiveness. He picked me up and held me to his chest and told me it was okay. His hands were running through my hair lulling me into a dream less sleep. I was vaguely aware of his voice._

"_I can make the pain go away. I can help you cope."_

"_Yes make it go away." I remember saying._

_He chuckled and whispered. "As you wish child. This might hurt a bit, but in the end it will be worth it."_

_I nodded into his shoulder. He sank to his knees on the floor. I barely registered my limp legs folding under me, holding me up in this strangers arms._

_He told me to grab onto his cloak. I did as he said. _

_His mouth hovered over my throat. Then I felt the tiniest of pricks before a rush of pleasure enveloped me. I heard him groan against my neck. I remember the feeling as it were my first sexual experience. The mindless pleasure of it. My hands were tightening and letting loose of his cloak like a mantra. I remember his hips thrusting against mine and a hardness touching me with each movement. I was not ignorant as to what it was. But the surprise of it had me gasping and his mouth on my neck had me moaning. _

_I was ashamed that this stranger I had no knowledge of at the time was giving me my first taste of sex. I could feel his tongue against my heat. My vision was starting to fade. I remember crying out for him to stop and feeling faint._

_He only pulled away and looked into my eyes. They were an electric blue, he was panting hard. His hands had a grip on my shoulders and I suppose we looked like midnight lovers embraced as we were._

_He let go of my shoulder and brought his wrist to his mouth. I watched the blood spurt out and stain my robe. As I remember now I was covered in the blood of each of my family members. It was fitting I let there be some of this strangers. _

_He held out his wrist and told me to drink. I looked to him and took hold of his wrist. The taste I experienced for the first time was sweet yet metallic. I found the more I tasted the sweeter and less metal it became. Soon I was latched onto his wrist and I could barely hear him telling me to stop in a frantic yet calm voice._

_Through him I felt the first beginnings of the pleasure I would get when I fed._

_I let go and sat back ashamed of what I had done._

_He was panting and looking at me his eyes that electric blue color they had been the entire time. _

_His eyes slipped down to my disheveled robe and his hands reached out. He untied my robe and cast it from my body. His hands reached out to me ruthlessly. He was greedy and took much. But I gave, and gave, and gave. As he had given me pleasure through his bite, I was already aroused. So instead of worrying about what I was doing I let him take my virginity._

_Later that night I gathered what scrolls were sacrificed from the raging fires in my father's office tossing them into a make-shift bag. I would not look at them but keep them in remembrance of why I must go on. But in the future I would only remember this night as the night I became a vampire._


	2. Chapter 1: Desolate

Okay so I got a review that said this story has an Underworld feel to it, well that was part of the inspiration along with Anne Rice books and other assorted paraphernalia.the beginning of this chapter might be kind of like it butI assure you the story is different. There is no human becoming lichen/vampire. But I am using some of the principles of the movie. But I am also using my own engineering.

Well I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Underworld...I forgot to mention that although some likenesses have taken place.

* * *

For years there has been a war raging between the Vampires and the Lycan: One of great loss and great pain.

No one really knows how it has started but the feeling has always been there. Only the elders have the knowledge of how it truly began and decreed by them it would stay that way, as it is forbidden to look into the past. Kagome was following orders, not only the orders of the elders but the orders of her own heart, for not only was there a war between the Lycan and the Vampires but, there was a war more personal between her and the Lycan.

She finds herself crouching over the balcony of an old building the moon to her back and the entire city to her eyes, and she is grieved by many memories. Memories of why she must kill.

Because of many things that have happened, the moon no longer held her sway over the lycan. Older and more powerful ones could change at will.

Kagome was reborn a warrior of a bite but of a true heart. She became a member of a 'Special Force' group amongst the vampires that hunt, track, and kill lycan since the beginning of her existence. She was also one of the only two girls in the group that was strong enough to survive.

In the coven where Kagome takes residence during the time of sun, there are housed many vampires such as herself. They form an elite group of killers. All have been trained in the most brutal of conditions and only the strong have survived this challenge created by the elders.

There are three elders all are sworn to protect during their time of reign, Mikau, Midoriko, and Naraku. It has always been one awake two asleep. For the last two centuries Midoriko has been in reign of the vampires, but that was to change in two days. In two days it will be the awakening ceremony. Each rules for two centuries then when their turn is over the next ruler is awakened and the previous ruler is put to sleep. It is an immense event.

As Kagome crouches, she is waits for the signal. Her group has been tracking a couple of lycan for a number of days. It has led them to this place on this rainy night. Had she been anyone else the lightening might have scared her. She has been crouched there for the last twenty minutes waiting and watching all the humans' mill around, some with umbrellas and some with only newspapers to cover themselves. But it is not the humans they are interested in. The humans only provide them with cover of the night. It is because of them the lycan have not caught on yet. Kagome looked over to where Miroku was crouched and loked away at the lack of a signal. There were a number of them out here this night but vampires are not always easy to see.

In their training they were taught how to melt into the shadow, which often comes in handy. They were also taught how to seek opportunities to turn a situation to their advantage against all odds.

She looked over to Miroku again and this time at her inquiring gaze he nodded jumping down. She could feel a gathering of much lycan this night as she jumped from her perch atop the building her cloak fluttering behind her. She landed softly and gracefully on her feet in a crouched position after having had much training. She joined in with the mill of humans sure to keep a group of lycan in sight. As she follows she began to look around. She can see Miroku, and many others placed carefully in the crowd having her back. She nodded silently telling them she was to follow and another member joined the crowd following her for back up in case things turned for the worse.

Lycan are suspicious creatures and they should be. If they turn their back for too long, she might just be behind them ready to shoot a silver bullet straight into home.

She slid gently down the street, grimacing when a human bumped into her. She moved to keep up with the pace of the lycan. She looked ahead to see Jiku, a new man that just came on with them a short time before the beginning of this mission, was up ahead leaning against a pole and gave him a signal and he started to walk away. Before she could go into the next phase, a gun went off in the mill before her.

"Shit." She yelled.

She watched all their carefully made plans tumble down around her. One of the lycan they had been tracking ran out of the crowd and straight toward her. She pulled out her gun and shot expertly hitting her target with a sickening crunch audible to only her ears.

All the humans began screaming and running. A few hit the floor stumbling and took off running again. The ones that weren't close enough to a safe exit ran to the nearest car trying to avoid the bullet spray for fear of a stray one. Their fear batted at her senses.

She watched ahead as the newbie Jiku, was shot and in what seemed like slow motion fell to the ground and began writhing around. She ran to him and kneeled. His skin was turning purple as if he was losing oxygen and then his skin started burning to ash before her eyes. Everything was happening in slow motion. He was writhing, his mouth moving in silent words until his whole body crumbled to dust and blew away with the wind and rain.

With renewed vigor she leaped up and barely missed the shot of a lycan. After she maneuvered around the shot she pulled out both of her guns and turned round the car she had hid behind. As she turned she spotted a lycan reaching for a human. She shot three silver bullets into his chest. Then when he fell to his knees she stepped forward and pushed him back with her foot and held him down while she shot two more into his skull hate filling her eyes and heart.

One of his comrades seeing what she had done came running at her with a machine gun and began firing. She leapt behind the nearest car. After landing she changed the cartridge in both of her guns banging the bottoms together pushing them into their place with a click and stepped around the corner and fired back at him. She hit him in the shoulder as he turned and heard him howl painfully. Their bullets were made of pure untainted silver. Lycan are extremely hypoallergenic to silver. He turned and ran into the street to his right and Kagome chased after him. He went through the next street and into an alley on the other side. She followed him until she turned onto another side street directly parallel to his but with more escape options, the alley he chose boxed in for the entire length until it came out onto the other side. She came to the end of the street and it was blocked off. Using what momentum she had left from her mad run and a make-shift ramp, she launched herself over the wreckage with her guns pointed forward incase of ambush and felt her body twist with the impetus. She landed on one knee facing the thing she had just jumped. Not lingering too long she leaped back up and raced to meet the lycan. He appeared just a scant few yards ahead but she couldn't get a direct shot. He veered sharply to the left and turned into what she could only assume was another side street.

As she ran down the alley after the lycan she looked behind her to see if she was being followed and watched a lycan change to take on Hojo who stood not three feet away from it. She turned back to forward to see where she was going and turned into the same street the lycan dashed into.

She stepped up just in time to not trip because this was no street but an abandoned lot. Her heels crunched the gravel underfoot and she saw a glint on the ground and bent to pick it up. It was a silver bullet covered in lycan blood. She heard a howl and looked behind her. She stood and made her way along the wall back to where she had come from. Her gun was pointed up ready to turn and shoot. She made her way closer to the edge and turned to look when a garbage truck narrowly missed her face. She stayed against the wall for a second willing the jello in her knees to go away and composed herself. She looked away and toward the back of the lot. There was blood about shoulder high on the wall. She began walking that way turned the corner and came to a dead end with a slightly annoyed expression.

She noticed on the ground a hatch that led under the city into the sewage. She slid her fingers in between the grates and pulled it up letting it the hinges take it to the ground. Without a backward glance she jumped down the hatch.

As soon as she landed, her knees bending from the force, she shot back up and pointed her gun ahead of her. Not seeing anyone there she pointed it behind her.

A shot rang out behind her and she barely had time to turn and miss the bullet. It rang against the concrete wall to her right.

She turned and shot at him hitting him in the chest six times. He fell to the ground arching his back and yelling out. She changed the cartridge with another magazine of bullets pushing it in and putting her foot too his chest and shot him in the skull six more times.

Her eyes had become the thrilling blue accustomed to vampires when they become scared, angry, feel pleasure, or are on the hunt.

This time she was on the hunt. She could feel her fangs resting against her lips. She looked to his side and seen he had dropped his gun. She picked it up and pulled the cartridge out. The bullets were clear and filled with a liquid glowing blue.

She turned at a noise she recognized as a transformed lycan and turned at the moment he jumped down the hatch throwing her stiletto made of pure silver from handle to tip, at him. She always felt a slight burn whenever she touched the blade but as usual she ignored it for later inspection.

The impact of the silver had him declining to the ground. He tried getting up but she pulled her blade out and shot it simultaneously in the skull. She didn't wait to see what happened and ran deeper into the tunnel to try and find a way out. She went down the longest tunnel hoping to find a way out before the lycan came to and started to follow her. She pushed through a wooden slated door that she happened along and ran down the hall it led into and turned the next corner. She stopped and leaned her back against the wall her handgun pointed in the air next to her head her breath coming in short gasps of air. She could hear the lycan was following and she slipped down another passage way leading deeper into the honeycomb web of twists and turns.

She could hear many growls and few shouts of man. She looked to her right and found she was boxed in by a gate that was locked shut and the shouts were coming from under the city. She walked toward the gate a little confused and tried to pinpoint the exact location of the shouts. They seemed to be filling the entire room like they were underground but not.

She heard the banging of the wooden door and turned running to her escape.

A loud shot rang through out the entire underground.

⋆⋆⋆

Sesshomaru shot the gun to get their attention. He had opened the door and found them all shouting egging on the fight like idiots placing bets like the entire thing was a dog fight. The absurdity to stage such a thing was beyond him. Standing at the door they all turned to look at him as he lowered the gun. He made his way through the line of them toward where the two were fighting. As he came closer they began to change back into their humanoid forms. They were both breathing heavily and the deep gashes covered the expanse of their bodies began healing before his eyes.

He stopped in front of them with an indecipherable look. "You are acting like a pack of militant beasts and that gentleman will simply not do, particularly not if you expect to defeat the vampires on their own ground." He paused taking a steady breath, "Certainly not if you expect to survive at all." Then with a shout he called out to the two who had been fighting. "Put some garments on."

As they moved to abscond, Sesshomaru turned away walking back out the way he came.

⋆⋆⋆

Kagome had found a passage out and took it. She found she was far away from where she had left the car and even farther from the coven. She resolved to take to the rooftops and make her way back. This way was much faster and she didn't have to worry about someone seeing her in her natural state, if humans didn't already have a clue to their existence. For the moment vampires and lycans were merely sources of novels to stir the imagination. Wouldn't Anne Rice shit a brick if she knew they were truly real? Hopefully humans thought them to be some gang of sorts. The very idea was laughable. But hopefully the ones who had seen something they should not have were killed. That was usually left to Miroku; he would know who was here and who needed to be killed later.

But even if they went to the police, a place based on logic, who would believe them? Here in this city the officer might just blame it on too much drug usage. But if there was ever someone smart enough to believe them then it came into the hands of their assassins. Kagome grimaced at the idea.

She dropped down from the rooftop and landed next to the driver side of her car. Looking around to make sure no one seen someone just fall from the sky she climbed in and made the journey back to the coven to give Sango her new find.

She pulled out of the lot she had parked in tires spinning and gravels upsetting.

She pulled off onto the street that led out of town and to a large mansion a little ways outside of town. It offered privacy but every once in a while there has been someone to discover it. They had been dealt with quickly.

She pushed the button built in to the car and the gate before her swung open admitting her then shut behind with a cling of metal on metal. She pulled into the garage where other many cars were parked of different shapes and sizes.

After disengaging the engine and leaving the garage she made her way through the main room past all the other vampires whose stares were boring into her back and down into the basement that served as the base of operations headquarters.

She threw the handgun onto the table and watched Sango jump. She had been immersed in the mechanics of a revolver.

"Well Kagome no hey how are ya?"

"I don't feel there is a need between you and me, what is it?" Kagome said gesturing to the gun.

Sango picked it up, "Have you gone off your rock? It is a gun."

"No, what is it?" Kagome said taking the gun out of her hands and pulling out the magazine.

"Oh…," She trailed off with a look on her face.

Kagome dropped the cartridge into her outstretched palm and Sango looked back at her.

"I will test it and get back to you on what it is, but it seems to be some sort of radioactive light. Where did you get it?"

"I took it from a lycan I killed a few hours ago." She replied waving it off going onto something more important.

"Are you saying that there are lycan out there with guns similar to this?" She asked slightly unsettled.

"I don't believe this is the only one, if that is what you are asking." Kagome replied smoothly. "This is just great."

"Well I agree especially since the New Moon Festival is approaching fast. We might have to take extra precautions for it." Sango looked worried.

"Yes." Kagome agreed walking away leaving Sango to her mechanics. She had a lot to think about. The New Moon Festival was coming up.

The New Moon Festival is where vampires and lycan come together in a night of peace and agreement. It was held in an abandoned coven on the other side of town. It is the only one the lycan know about, as it has long since been abandoned which makes it ideal for this purpose.

It was a masquerade ball of sorts. Some vampire and lycan don't believe in it but those who do, come to party. Kagome goes for security and the chance that a lycan gets out of conduct and can kill him without refute not that she ever has any in the first place.

Kagome made her way down the hallways and to her room hoping not to be intercepted by Inuyasha. He was one of her suitors that refuse to give up no matter how many times she has rejected him.

She made it to the door and then she heard her name called out. She looked down the hallway and Miroku was walking briskly to catch up to her. She smiled but it didn't seem to reach her eyes.

"I am glad you are okay," He said.

"Me too," She replied.

"I just came to tell you," he paused. "There were casualties."

"Yeah I watched Jiku die." She tried not to sound any more emotional than she was already feeling.

"Well there was another," He paused again. "Kago," He used the nickname that he gave me when he first befriended me, "Hojo is dead."

She gave him a funny indescribable look. "I don't lie; I just thought you should know."

Kagome nodded wearily and walked into her room and closed the door behind her. After closing it she walked over to the couch and sunk down.

Hojo…dead…. No it isn't possible. Panic seemed to fill her; inescapably building but she couldn't feel it.

She felt a tear come to drop onto her folded hands. She stared down at it bewildered of how it came to be there. It was sitting there artlessly. It brought her to reality.

Hojo was gone. She stood abruptly screaming her chest heaving. She ripped up her pillows, tore my couch, and threw her laptop across the room where it hit sharply against the wall. She ripped the curtains, tore the bed apart, shredded the covers, and ripped them to pieces. Feathers were falling from the ceiling as she scratched the walls in agony. She ripped lamps from their sockets in the walls. The only thing left untouched from the wrath of her destruction was the bathroom and her coffin in the side room.

She then sunk to the floor against a wall, and cried brokenly. Her chest was heaving and her breath coming out in uncontrollable sobs.

Hojo, her first love…was gone. They were supposed to go to the New Moon Festival together. Even if they were just security that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy themselves.

She must have sat there for hours. She could tell it was a few more hours until sunrise and contemplated just sitting there and destroying herself with the sun. Hojo was gone, and so it seemed, was she.

She didn't even look at the door when it opened.

"You look awful," Kikyo said upon entering what was once her quarters.

Kagome looked up to her, her eyes that tinged with that electric blue shaded with red from crying. She actually cringed a bit before coming to herself and helping Kagome to her feet.

"Let's get you a bath," Kikyo said gently.

Kagome let her lead her to the bathroom before sitting her where the sink was. Kagome sat there and watched the tub fill with warm water her whole body feeling numb and anesthetized. She had only felt this once before. But that was so long ago…

"Bath is ready. Get in and I will be in to check on you in a bit." Kikyo said sympathetically.

Kagome looked at her slightly bewildered at the thought of getting in the tub then nodded. Kikyo left the bathroom closing the door quietly and Kagome began taking off her clothes. She let the leather slip from her body to the floor in a heap.

She slipped into the water and lay back closing her eyes. She eventually came to grips and washed herself.

⋆⋆⋆

As she stepped out of the bath she turned to look in a mirror. Yes that myth was wrong. She looked at her perfect flesh. Not one marred piece.

_Heavy breathing. Moans filling the room. The sound of smacking flesh resounding around the room. Her crying out because he bit her. _

Memories flashed through her mind.

_Him groaning because she was scratching his back as of the intense pleasure overtook her. The gratification magnified because they were both vampires enjoying each other._

But only this morning there had been love bite and claw marks all over her. They had just made love. He had been her first true lover. They had been laughing and enjoying each others company. If she could have gone back to that moment she would have in that instant and live in it forever.

She stood there as the door opened and Kikyo stepped in a warm towel draped across her arm. Kikyo held it out and Kagome deftly took it. She left to go get her some clothes. Kagome wrapped the towel around her body and entered what was left of her room. She stepped over the broken things not even feeling when shards of glass from her broken lamps penetrated her feet. She made it to the room which held her coffin.

Kikyo held out a gown of black. The only color Kagome had ever used for sleep. She took it and slipped it over her head. The cool silk rested over her breasts making them comes to hard peaks.

_Rough hands. Tripping users. Her giggling as she undressed him. Him smiling into the kiss. _

The memories were back

_Him picking her up his hands cupping her bottom as he snuggled his face between her breasts. Her taking hold of his head running his hair between her fingers and pushing him further into her._

A tear glided down her cheek and she slipped into her coffin. She crossed her arms over her breast with the knowledge that he would never touch her there again. Kagome looked to Kikyo as she bent down and place a kiss on Kagome's forehead.

Kikyo gave her a weak smile as she pulled away, Kagome however did not smile back feeling trapped as Kikyo closed the lid to her coffin.

* * *

So you have found out a few things. Well here you go. I hope you liked it. We had a snowday today. Which means no school. I should be happy but I am not. Well I guess you guys are because you get a chapter out of this. 

Well let me know what you think.

_Ja ne  
XOXOXO,  
Raining Tear Drops_


	3. Chapter 2: Black Outs

Kagome's eyes snapped open burning with hatred the next night to an unrelenting knock on her chamber door. It was sharp and curt and highly trying.

She pushed open the lid to her coffin and sat up eyes alert and her senses seeking. She had always possessed superior senses for her kind. It was uncommon and made her quite germane for her line of work.

She recognized the scent of the person she was least persistent to encounter. Stealthily she egressed herself from the inside of the casket and leisurely seized the robe hanging from a hook on the wall. It was very similar to the one of her youth and suitably elegant. It was black and gave off a silvery hue, lengthy, and tended to flare behind her when in haste. The sleeves were long and blazed out at the wrists coming to a sharp point a short space beyond her fingertips. The front was much like the back of a corset in the way of tying. The neckline came down in between her bosoms and the ties were secured around her stomach. The bodice settled over her thorax languidly accentuating her womanly curves that she had been blessed with at birth. Those curves were common for a female vampire designed for easy seizure of prey, but hers had been those of her human life before the change. All vampires were graced with beautiful ethereal features that ensnared even the most powerful of specimen causing senses to be subdued and taking the offered sustenance easy.

She was tempted to ignore the obvious display outside the door. Rude or not she was in no mood to deal with him at the moment. She longed to be left alone in her grieving, even _he_ should understand that.

"Kagome, open up I know you're in there." He was a resolute little bastard. She sighed knowing if she didn't get this out of the way he would only come back again and probably knock down the door if need be.

She looked around her; her room had been cleaned sometime in the portion of the night she had been sleeping. She was grateful.

She gritted her teeth and put her hand to the doorknob to open it but paused. She could hear his blood roaring through his veins hitting the artery walls with a force known to all. She could feel her canines explode into her mouth. She experienced something feral and wild wrath inside. Her teeth gnashed painfully together.

Her intellect told her to fight it but her instinct told her to embrace it. So she closed her eyes and let the feeling overtake her with its burning embrace.

It was exotic this change of balance and what that change was she was unsure. Soon the intense frenzy subsided and she felt like a caged animal. She wanted to feel the moon on her back and the cool of the night under her body. She wanted to hunt. When she opened her eyes they had turned to the electric blue of a predator and then she blacked out.

□□□

When Kagome awoke she was sprawled across her bed and it was a few hours to sunrise. She felt sticky and sore like her body was trying to reshape itself and succeeded only to once again take on her more natural state.

She stumbled from the bed to the annex of the bathroom. She appeared into the mirror and was shocked at her appearance. Blood stained her bodice and was smudged on her face. Her hair was wild and untamed coming down in long tangled ebony curls that reached her buttocks. There were leaves and sticks intertwined in those locks. Her appearance looked like the nightmare she really was.

She turned and started the water in the bath tub. She began the tedious work of peeling the cloth from her body trying desperately to remove the stench of decayed blood that clung to her body like a second skin. She felt more like the creature that she was.

She sunk into their comforting depths and scrubbed her body until it was pink and bleeding in places. But that didn't erase the odor from her memories.

By the end of her bath, the water was diluted crimson from both hers and her unknown victim.

□□□

Yesterday had been wasted and she was no closer to finding out why she blacked out. She tried making herself remember what happened during those hours and only succeeded in giving herself a migraine or what she assumed was close to one as she has never experienced that human sentiment, at least not that she can remember.

She donned her usual attire and holstered her guns at her hips along with her silver stiletto which was a gift from her sire. Then as an after thought she slung her sword over her back and fastened the belt-like straps diagonal across her chest until it was snug against her body.

On her desk was a new laptop that replaced the old one she had smashed previously. Opening the top left hand drawer she pulled out the back up disk from her other laptop and inserted it to update her laptop.

She then grabbed a satchel slinging it across her shoulder that contained a digital camera and mp3 player then subsequently left the room. The door closed with an audible click leaving her in the darkness of the hallway outside the chamber. She walked briskly conscious of her surroundings. Her senses were constantly seeking danger and flaring out to cover the ground before her.

She made it to the training landing without difficulty and walked down the hallway to the quarters at the end of the long line of rooms. It was unoccupied so she began her workout.

□□□

Kagome found herself that evening in the seamstress Yura's quarters being measured and picking out the fabric for the dress she was to wear to the Festival. Security or not she was expected to dress for the occasion.

She picked out black, red and gold for her gown.

"Such beautiful colors," Yura purred while measuring Kagome's bust. Kagome had laid the fabric together while comparing what she wanted her gown to look like. She began to come up with suitable designs in her mind. She wanted to look the part of a seductress.

Kagome began sketching out the design she was going to have Yura make.

"Yes," She said simply. She wasn't in the mood to talk. She also hadn't fed yet this night. Her body was crying out for sustenance.

"So who are you going to the festival ball with?" Yura asked with what seemed like genuine curiosity to me.

She could feel the familiar pang of pain course through at the mentioning of it, "Ah, no one," _anymore._ The word hung dryly in her mind and in the air. It felt like it was closing off her lungs stealing every breath. _I have to get out of here._ She thought as she was suffocating.

Kagome was on the verge of trembling from her body's desires when Yura called out positively, "Done!"

Kagome thanked her and left despite Yura's protests that she should join her for some girl time.

It was uncommon for vampire females to band together in companionship. It was Kagome's personal preference to be alone. Women tended to fight over the males and she could care less at the moment about any male.

She slipped out from the house easily with little to no attention drawn to her.

Tonight she was hungry almost to the point of losing control, her eyes the familiar feeling of being the shocking blue. She decided to walk as it would be easier to draw her prey to her outside than in the stifling confines of the metal death contraption named a car.

It was a beautiful night for a walk and she glowered with rue upon a couple of lovers gazing up at the stars from their backyard drinking what smelled like expensive champagne.

She walked by barely noticed but sensed the shiver that coursed through their bodies at her unmarked presence. She supposed she could go to a bar to pick up dinner but she was content to wander the streets until something came along.

Her feet led her to a cliff that overlooked the entirety that was the town. There was a slight shift in the favonian that sent a delicious scent of a human to her parched hunger. She felt herself shift but worked to contain herself. She wasn't against killing humans, just the killing of innocent ones. She usually liked to feed on the scum of the city but right now her options were limited.

She sent out a compulsion to the human bringing it ever near. She realized that the human was male and her desire spiked at his musky scent. Her saliva seemed to congregate in her mouth and she swallowed forcing herself to look less than threatening even though her fangs lengthened with each step that brought him nearer. They were a constant reminder to her of her danger. She only hoped she could control herself.

She stood there appearing innocent while he came up next to her, but looks could be deceiving.

She was slightly startled when he made a comment about it being a beautiful night.

"Yes," She answered.

He could hear the slight lilt in her voice suggesting a time spent in Ireland and a slip of France.

"What is a lovely woman like you doing out in the dark alone at night?"

She could have been wrong about him but she sensed no malice from him upon her first impression. "I like to gaze at the stars when I am lonely or upset," She replied drawing him nearer into her protective circle of her compulsion. He took an enthralled step closer to her. "Would you like to help me with my loneliness?"

She didn't have to wait long for him to step into her predators embrace. She held him close in her arms and used a bit of her power to make him feel as if he were a little tipsy. She felt him sway in her arms but she held him upright and pressed her kiss upon the vein in his throat. She touched it lightly with a pad of her tongue and slid her teeth gently into his neck trying to control the urge to suck every last drop greedily from his body. She took a bit more than she intended but it was enough to shave the edge off her appetite until she could find a more suitable meal.

She laid him gently to the earth and made sure his heart was still pulsing with a steady thrum.

She felt marginally better but her hunger was hardly satisfied. With her step lighter and heart still proverbially heavy she dashed the rest of the way into town and took to the rooftops in lieu of getting to the dankest part of the town. The moon hung heavy and closer too the earth as she made her way.

Her next victim wasn't as lucky as the first as he smelled of another's blood with equal wickedness and past away into the vicious pull of her teeth at his skin. She had left him in his alley to rot.

Briefly she thought she smelled a lycan but put it off to her now sated blood lust and hunger. She doubled her speed and dropped to the ground ten feet from the yawning opening of an alley that seemed to be still except for the furious pounding of the heart held within. Her hunger was below peak and she entered silent as a ghost. Her footsteps echoed in the space and she could feel the furious pounding wash over her with each step she took closer. She wondered if the weeping was the work of her imagination.

When she stepped in front of the creature she found it was not human but indeed a lycan. Young it was but it was still her enemy. She hissed and stepped back crouching into a stance made for springing upon ones prey.

The little demon curled in on itself and wept harder.

Kagome was puzzled by the fruitlessness it seemed to give off in waves as if it no longer cared about its existence. She knew instinctively she should kill it but her heart clenched at the morbid thought. Instead she picked it up and clutched the thing to her chest wondering what she was getting herself into and made her way home her hunger forgotten in the waves of agony radiating off this young being.

□□□

Somewhere along the way back he had passed out in her arms and she found herself dabbing a wet cloth to its forehead. But to her dismay she found she was neither disgusted with it and that the thing was actually quite adorable.

She watched as his eyes opened sleepily and there was fright in them. She sat back and watched him leap to his feet and give her a look of impertinence.

"Stay away from me. I won't let you eat me!" She almost laughed at his display, almost.

She sighed, "If I were going to eat you, I would have already done it."

He seemed unable to process this but then gave her a bright smile and held out his hand. "My name is Shippo."

Why Kagome was doing this she didn't know but she briefly wondered if it was too late to eat him.

"Kagome," She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. His smile brightened and she felt her heart clutch. Yes contrary to popular belief vampires remained to keep their human hearts. In fact, in the refractory period where the actual change occurred, a 'vampire heart' formed. In advanced technical studies done by previous and present Scientists for the Advancement of the Vampyre Race this heart is what has given them their longevity. To be killed, a vampire must be staked through their 'vampire heart', beheaded, or burned to ash. Killing the human heart would rid a vampire of their humanity meaning that instead of being one with choices, a mindless killing machine would reside. Or a rogue. It was Kagome's job to help rid the world of those creatures too.

"How old are you?" Kagome's eyes narrowed as she looked into his face. It was almost too innocent.

"I was turned in 1888."

"Wow. You're old." Her eyes narrowed even more into little slits and Shippo had the distinct feeling he had said something wrong. Very wrong.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it is rude to as a woman her age?"

"Well woman is pushing it." At her killing gaze Shippo immediately began to rectify his meaning, "I mean that you are a vampire. Blood sucking creature of the night. The boogey men of lycan."

"And that makes me less a woman. I still have womanly desires. I can conceive and raise young. If being a vampire makes me less a woman than surely being a lycan would make you less of a boy and more of a mongrel."

Shippo's eyes clouded in thought as he processed her meaning, "Hey. That isn't fair."

"Hn. Moot point."

Then she left him to sit on her couch and went to her laptop. The back up disk had done it's job and the computer was up to date. Inserting the disk of pictures that had been taken from their last hunt. Kagome began to look for points of weakness. Where they had went wrong. How to rectify the situation. What strategy points worked and didn't.

"What are you doing?" Kagome resisted to sigh. Oh she wanted to but would not give him the benefit of hearing her.

"What does it look like I am doing." She retorted a bit more forcefully than he deserved. Wait when did she care about anyones feelings but her own.

"Oh. I'm hungry." Kagome was flabbergasted. It hadn't occurred to her he would get hungry. She was out of her element.

"What do lycan eat?" She hazarded.

"Meat." Duh.

"Like cattle and stuff?"

"Yeah, cattle and stuff."

Kagome picked up the receiver to the phone on her desk and ordered some beef, bloody. Then went back to work. For the most part she ignored Shippo and worked on her report for Inuyasha. A knock at the door signaled the arrival of Shippo's food. Kagome sent her report to Inuyasha, saved, and exited out of the program.

She opened the door slight enough to allow the food in, said thank you, and shut the door hastily. "Here." Shippo took it greedily. "I am going out for a while."

"Where are you going?" He looked scared.

"I need food." She said simply.

"You can't. It's too dangerous. It is only two days to the new moon."

"Indeed. I seem to fail to acknowledge your point."

"More lycan will be out looking for food. Most have developed a taste for vampire blood. And others are forced to shift to their more predator nature."

"I am trained to kill and subdue lycan. I will be fine." The smell of the blood was making her light headed with hunger. She hadn't fed properly in days. She felt her vision shift. The infrared of the blue seeking out heat signatures of life.

She fled out her window and hit the ground running. She felt her muzzle lengthen and then everything went black.

□□□

The room was sweltering when he awoke. He was sweating and his hair stuck to his face in a sticky mass. His hands were stained red from the blood of his dinner last night.

He rolled over and dislodged the sheets from his naked body. He stood and stretched his muscles. The new moon was approaching fast and with it the Festival. It was the days before the new moon that were the worst. Being forced to shift was never easy, nor desirable. Giving into ones more primitive nature could be hell.

He scratched his stomach and looked back to his bed. The woman would need to leave. She served her purpose and was still sleeping. He called a servant to remove her from his room and to replace the sheets with new clean ones. Then stepped in to take a shower.

The water formed little droplets and slid down to pool at the small of his back as he cleansed his body. He stood under the spray as it poured from the head. Tilting his head back he allowed the water to run over his face turning his head from side to side.

He couldn't remember most of last night. None could when forced to change. It was like allowing another to take over your body. Those who didn't understand the change could spend a lifetime of doctor visits and millions of dollars without understanding the effects.

When he was dressed and presentable he called in the ones who survived the vampires attack to report.

"It was inescapable. The humans were in the way. It was difficult with all the rain to detect which were vampire or human. "

"Enough!" He pursed his lips. "You were given a simple job. One that you failed to accomplish. I did not ask for excuses. I will now be left with the remnants of your incompetence to rectify." He glared at the one who opened his mouth to speak. "You are dismissed." When his guard led them away he caught his eye and nodded. They would suffer for their failure. He could hear their screams in his room. His being was clouded with satisfaction as he readied to leave. Without law, there was no order. He had to maintain his position. He had an image to uphold. To enforce. He would not have his people view him as weak.

He smirked as he walked from the house.

* * *

_I have been gone long. There is no excuse. Hangs head lowly_

_Review please. Let me know what you think._

_Raining Tear Drops._

* * *


	4. Chapter 3: Anticipation

Kagome woke in layers. She had that feeling. You know the one you get when you've had too much liquor to drink? Yeah that one. Killer ache in the head, sand paper throat, and a queasy stomach. If this was death she wanted it to be over with. Pronto.

Head bowed she rolled to her stomach, lifted to one knee from the damp earth she had called a resting point moments ago, and kept her head low. The world was spinning faster than it should be. When she did look up she found the sun was mere minutes from the horizon and she bolted. She barely recognized that she was running out of the bushes of the Banshou Manor. Her home. She hit the front door with a painful clatter. Hear heart was pounding too loud to notice and she began to panic when the doors did not immediately give way.

Stepping back she looked to the imposing brick for a way in. None were forthcoming.

Another look to the horizon had her panic upscaling. The suns rays spilled forth across her body. Her eyes shut deep she felt the beginnings of...nothing. Her eyes flashed open and she looked upon her skin where the sun touched. In awe she brought her hand to her face. The warmth of the suns rays were amazing after such a long absence. But still it was too weird and she didn't know how long it would be okay to stay in the suns light. A new kind of panic filled her. It wasn't normal. She would not be anyones lab rat. This was her secret. Should anyone see her...well that could be disasterous.

As she ran around the building her eyes landed on an open set of windows and in a powerful burst of sinew and muscle she scaled the building in a frantic scrape tearing the nails from her fingers leaving them bloody and tender to fall through the windows embrace.

Panting she pushed from the floor, shut the window, and threw the bulky curtains closed. The room was quiet, almost too quiet. Her heart thumped madly in her chest. She willed it to cooperate and shut up.

She swallowed painfully at the lump in her throat and almost ran to where she hope the door would be. A soft sleepy voice had her halting in her tracks, "Kagome?"

She spun, her eyes adjusting to the darkness switching to infrared, her stomach gave a slick roll and she promptly lost the contents of her stomach all over the floor where she fell in a heap.

She groaned and felt herself be lifted. When the light was turned on the sharp contrast from the dark had her head pounding with a ferocity she had never felt before and her stomach gave another nauseous spin. His pretty silver hair made it worse, "Inuyasha..." She belched grossly and found her head shoved at the toilet. She purged her abused stomach further of it's minuscule contents before she passed out.

Inuyasha didn't care that she was puking. Just the thought that she was here, here in his room was gloriously pleasant. The object of his affections, how he had dreamed of her visit. Of course it would have been nothing like this. A small dinner for two, a couple of flutes of warm blood--the real stuff not the synthetic shit the SAVR thought they should consume. It isn't like they could contract a disease from blood anyway. The antibodies would fight that off well enough. Then as the evening moved along, both of them naked copulating in different positions while he pleasured and ravaged her sweet body claiming her as his own. She would call his name in that husky voice of hers and know it was he who gave her pleasure--along with the rest of Banshou Manor. He fought not to groan at the all too vivid images. He needed a hobby. Like golf. Yes golf would do nicely. His brain went to smut again at the thought of who he would like a _hole in one_ with.

Here she was. While Hojo had been an amazing officer and a great asset to the SAVR--well the special ops task force--Inuyasha was glad he was gone. Maybe he had a chance now. Maybe she would reciprocate his advances. She might even accept his hand to the festival ball now. The thought sent his heart to thump.

He had held her hair as she retched back from her face. Then once she was reduced to empty gags he had pulled her back and leaned her against the tub. In the wash basin he grabbed a cloth damp with cold water and dabbed at her face cleaning her up. Her face had gone ashen. She had passed out sometime ago so he left to call for Kikyo to attend to her.

Kikyo had bathed Kagome, gave her a solution for her stomach and throat, bandaged her tender fingers, and dressed Kagome in one of her nighties. When she was finished he carried Kagome to his bed and slipped her under the sheets. He joined her moments later and tucked her to his body then fell asleep content with the evenings end.

□□□

She was entirely too warm when she woke up and felt better than she had in days. She was also very hungry. She felt an arm tighten around her waist and she almost said his name, _Hojo_. A piece of silver hair was in her hand that came over her shoulder and across her chest. _No, not Hojo._ She only knew one person with pretty silver hair and she rolled over.

His eyes were trained on her face, his face held a mix of emotions. Among them were concern and a gentleness. She almost gave in. Into what she didn't know.

"Hi," she said in a small voice.

"Good evening," He replied with a delicious grin. He was attractive don't get her wrong, just not her type. Her pulse raced anyway. Traitor. "Are you better today?"

"I believe so." Oh boy was this awkward. Then she realized she was clad in a skimpy mid-thigh silk night gown. In his bed. In his arms. In a skimpy mid-thigh silk night gown that left her half naked, in his bed, in his arms that was currently pooling somewhere around her belly button as he stroked her hip, with his pretty silver hair framing his pretty little face as he stared at her expectantly,. Yeah this was bad.

"Uh, I have to go," and she was up out of his bed and to the door before he could stop smiling. When the door shut, he frowned.

_Damn damn damndamndamndamndamn, _she groaned. Not only had she been avoiding his advances because she was not interested, but his subtle touches and the way her stomach gave a soft tickle when he spoke. When she threw herself in her room she was attacked by a fluff ball. A fluff ball whose hair was currently tickling her chin.

"Kagome, I was so worried. The way you just disappeared. It was frightening. Then, then you never came back."

She grimaced and forced her voice to be gentle. "I'm okay Shippo. I promise. I just fell asleep somewhere else."

He then said in a soft voice his eyes trained to the ground. "I'm sorry. I just don't have anyone to help me. I'm all alone now. For real. I always dreamed of being like my mother and father. To go on missions dictated by our Lord." His eyes met hers with fierce determination, "My mother and father were murdered a week ago. I have been by myself ever since. I was really scared. Even though you're a vampire, I," his voice cracked, "I feel safe with you. Promise you won't leave me alone like that again. Please promise me."

She didn't have the heart to deny him. He was just the most adorable creature she had ever met. She smiled softly then opened her mouth to reply, "I promise."

Then with childish exuberance, "Promise what? You have to say it. And pinkie swear it." He held out his pinkie with the patience of a child.

"I, Kagome, promise to never leave you alone like that again." She held out her pinkie and waited as he clasped it with his own.

"Thank you, Kagome."

As Kagome stepped in the bathroom she removed the constricting bandages from around her fingers and flexed them. The gauze that fell away was bloody but her fingers were healed as if there had never been a wound there. After she showered and was dressed she had decided to begin her post operation report and to get her dress the ball would be tonight and any alterations that needed to be done would need to be done soon.

"Now, I have to go see Yura about a dress. The Festival is tonight." Better he only knew the half of it. She was ready and walking out the door. "Be good Shippo. I won't be back for a little while. There should be some more meat like what I had them bring you last night in the refrigerator. I won't be gone more than four hours." He nodded and she left in full gear to go back to the scene.

When she stepped out from her black Jaguar the gravel crunched under foot. The area had been marked off with police tape screaming in black on bright yellow, POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS. She ignored it. Blood had been washed away down the sewers in the storm. All that remained were memories and spirits. Crouching down she began to take more pictures with her camera. Glass was scattered on the street, a car was upturned and lying on it's roof. Someone had already been here to help remove it of basic parts and tires. The pawn shop would see them eventually.

Bullet casings were scattered, those missed by the human scene sweepers trying to make it more acceptable and less worrisome for the humans who milled around during the day. Her stomach grumbled. She looked around a little embarrased and went back to work/

The gravel skittered behind her and she was poised with a dagger in one hand a gun crossed over it in the other, ready to fight. Her camera lay on the ground, dropped. It was just a rat which now sat sniffing the air. "Shoo, go away," She gestured at it with her blade. Boy had she become kittenish. With a disgusted roll of her eyes she turned back to her work only to find her neck at the end of a sword held by a lithe deadly looking hand. Her eyes blazed.

She then met the eyes of the wielder. "You have no business here, woman."

"Me? Who do you think you are?" He has pretty silver hair. _Just like Inuyasha. _

She watched as it seemed like his chest puffed up. "It is of no concern to you who I am. Leave now or die."

She snorted, and stood. His eyes narrowed at her audacity. "I think not," and pushed the blade of his sword away. "Get that excuse for a weapon out of my face." She was in no mood to deal with egocentric assholes who thought they were better than everyone else.

"You dare.."

"I dare nothing. I do as I please." Her eyes narrowed in challenge. She was completely thrown off guard when he sheathed his sword. She was prepared to fight. She was annoyedwhen it was almost a staring contest but then his hand blurred as it went for her throat. He missed, her reflex, and caught her shoulder. His claws dug painfully in it and she grit her teeth to keep from crying out. The pain was intense. She settled for glaring.

"Not so talkative now bitch vampire."

"Mongrel lycan."

His eyes narrowed, "Cunt blood sucker."

She snorted, "Heard it all before. Can't you guys ever come up with anything new? God you are all so predictable." She locked her eyes with his. _Pretty amber color too. Almost gold. _"I am tired of playing games." Her vision wavered to infrared and she attacked all teeth and fists.

Mild surprise was shown in his eyes before he reciprocated. He landed in a heap on the concrete as the glass dug into his back, the bitch above him with a dagger dangerously close to dismembering him. He then flipped the odds and grabbed her wrists above her head as he straddled her knocking the gun and dagger from her hands to skitter across the ground somewhere out of reach.

Her knee came up painfully in his groin and he yelped, his hands going slack. He found himself flipped over her head landing on his back, her straddling him with the wind knocked out of him another dagger poised above his throat. He could feel the silver in the blade and fought not to pull away. He saw the hungry look in her eyes moments before she had dug her teeth in his neck as he struggled beneath her.

"No," it blew somewhere away on the light evening breeze. He lost his will to struggle. It felt so damn good. His hands and claws dug into her sides, clutching and releasing then began a helpless perusal of her body. He squirmed underneath her because it _hurt_ as the blood rushed to his cock. Thinking of the pain she inflicted with her knee coupled with the pleasure of her bite, he was a masochist at heart. It hurt so_ good_

His back arched into her of their own accord and to his embarrassment he moaned. It was long, drawn out, and utterly erotic to his own ears. His pupils began dilate and he felt the change begin. He smashed it back down but not before he howled in the silence of the night, void except for their struggle.

When she pulled pulled back slightly he felt her tongue run across the infliction made by her teeth. Her body shuddered and he bit back another groan as his hips thrust against her, fruitlessly seeking.

Then she was off him and standing a mere five feet away from him panting breathlessly. He stood. He could see the blood glistening on her chin as a bit snaked from her mouth. He watched as her finger wiped away it's traces and slipped into her mouth to be cleaned. His cock pulsed painfully as it strained against his trousers.

She stood there watching as he breathed shallowly, his face flushed. She followed his form down his torso, a nice chest one she imagined was defined and sculpted by years of hard work, to his hands which had claws extended and clenched slightly. Her gaze came to rest on his obvious hard on. She unconsciously licked her lips.

He wanted to bite it when the appendage snaked from between her pink lips, wanted to tangle it with his own, wanted to ravage the woman before him with an intensity he had never known. He stepped forward his hand half reached before it fell to his side and he was alert. He heard their approach and gave her one last look a promise and retribution in his eyes before he disappeared.

She was left standing there hot and bothered when she felt someone standing a few feet away. She turned to see Sango standing there and willed her body and hormones to calm. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked slightly annoyed that she was interupted, but she had seen the promise in those gorgeous eyes should they ever meet again.

She shrugged, "I wanted to find some empty casings of those bullets. Bankotsu wants to study them further." Bankotsu being the Head Research Analyst of the research branch of the SAVR. He had come to them from a Russian coven where he eventually stayed in the Banshou manor to become the HRA in the SAVR. "When I was close I thought I heard some noises. Lycan noises. I was worried. I had heard you had left to come back and take some post-operation photos for the conclusion of your report."

"Hn." Kagome sheathed her dagger and used her fists on her face to scrub away the feeling that had been produced by that man. She shivered. Checking her watch she saw that it read almost eleven thirty. She had left at nine. She told Shippo she wouldn't be gone more than four hours. "Well I am finished up here. I will let you get to work."

As Kagome walked back to her car she saw Miroku leaning quite cozily against it. "Get your ass off my car."

Miroku grinned and threw his hands up in the air in mock fashion. "Sorry boss." Miroku was her look out man. He was also damn good at his job. "I heard some, ah, groans and moans." His eyebrows wiggled suggestively, and a pervert. She resisted to roll her eyes.

"Save whatever your thinking for Sango," she said dangerously, "if you want to keep your dick." Her eyes locked with his promising pain if he spoke what was written on his face.

He winced, "Ouch boss that hurts."

"Using a dull spoon to castrate you would hurt. Now get your ass off my car and go help Sango." He gave one more lascivious hand gesture that was inappropriate and was gone his laugh carried on the wind.

She shook her head and allowed herself a chuckle and a small smile. Damn if she didn't love him. He was the brother she never had. All their playful banter was just that, playful.

Deciding not to waste any more thought on what happened before Sango and Miroku showed up, she made her way back to the manor to see Yura about her dress.

□□□

Sango bent over and picked up a camera, dagger, and gun. _Kagome would never be careless enough to leave all this here. What happened?_

She knew as soon as she arrived back at the manor she would find out.

Pervert alive or not. She turned a grim look on her face promising pain.

"It isn't what it looks like, er, felt like. I was only helping to assist you in ah."

He looked throughly chastised when she was finished. Picking up a casing that strongly resembled the ones in holding, she made her way back to her car, pervert in tow.

□□□

He was horny. The ball was in an hour and there wasn't enough time to find someone for a good lay. Not to mention the fact that the woman he lusted for was out of reach. Damn her. Damn the woman who got him into this predicament in the first place. No not a woman. A vampire. A vampire woman. A born seductress. His hand reached of it's own accord to where her teeth had marked him and rubbed. He was mildly surprised to get delicious tingles from the mark.

Someone would pay. As he showered, cold, he was given thoughts about her. She had a lovely face and a nice body from what his hands could tell. He replayed her features in his mind and was getting no where fast on giving up his hard on. Teeth gritted he leaned heavily against the wall and began to pleasure himself with languid strokes as he imagined it was the woman doing this to him. His other hand came from resting on the wall to rub the mark she left.

His visions became increasingly more vivid as he soon could smell her. He imagined what her arousal smelled like. He hadn't been paying much attention to that earlier. It would be musky. He groaned as he felt the anticipation of his pleasure and increased his rhythm.

He found the pressure release, groaned, and finished up washing his body his thoughts still on the woman. She might be at the ball. His eyes flashed a predators glance and he smirked. If she was he would lay her. Forget her afterwards. Maybe even kill her._ She would no longer have her possession over this Sesshomaru with her bite._

Having never been one to dabble in vampiric lovers he found this most exciting. His smile release to a full blown grin. A grin that promised.

He could find that he had been missing out by playing strictly with lycan lovers. He had never before suffered a vampires bite. Was it like that with every vampire? "Hn." Curious.

His masochist heart made its appearance again and he found himself not quite horrified at running a test to find worth in his musings.

As he finished his appearance by tying his blue silk tie, he buttoned up the buttons of his suit and called for his assistant.

"Yes my Lord." Jaken said a little breathlessly. He hoped not to be kicked again. His Lord had been in a fit since his arrival from wherever he had been.

"Ready the car."

"Certainly my Lord." Jaken bowed lowly and scurried swiftly to evade any mis-comings and readied the car as asked.

* * *

_SAVR is Scientists for the Advancement of the Vampyre Race. Remember from the last chapter? (Chapter 2)_

_I hope you liked it. A little sexual tension. Images of Sesshomaru in the shower, naked in the shower, and wet. _

_Well review please. I like to hear your opinions and takes on my stories._

_I had one review on a story of mine that made me laugh._

_Here it is:_

Ok first of all I came to this one certain place to look for good  
INUKAG stories. Not some horrible SessKag. Seriously you SessKag fans need  
to stop. Sess doesn't like Kag. There is no way in hell he would go with  
Kag. InuKag is the best. This is a place for INUKAG ONLY! Take your  
story and put it in a SessKag trash can where no one will ever look at  
it. I'm sorry to be so mean, but I am a big InuKag fan and cannot stand  
SessKag pairings. I hope you will take this out of here and put it  
somewhere else. INUKLAG FOR EVER!! 

_Notice----> I N U K L A G. If you are going to use prefixes at least get them right. Geez, spell check.  
_

_If this person had deemed to leave a working email address I would have responded like this:_

I am not sorry my story offends you. No where in the stipulations of  
using does it state that in the Inuyasha portion of the  
site that it is an Inuyasha/Kagome fiction only. I however will not  
remove my story just because of you who thinks it is trash. There are many  
other readers who feel the opposite. I don't see anyone forcing you to  
read and Sesshomaru/ Kagome fanfictions. Just avoid them. 

I am regretful that you feel this way. If it bothers you to see stories  
of this nature please have the courtesy to avoid them. In the search  
portion for the Inuyasha subfield it can be quite easily done. You  
search for fictions that are Inuyasha Kagome based.

I appreciate your opinions and respect them.

-Brittani (Raining Tear Drops)

_I tried, hence the non working email address. I laughed. A lot._

_Well if you have read this far you know the drill._

_Raining Tear Drops_


	5. Chapter 4: Abyss

Kagome was mildly surprised at how well the dress fit and looked on her. As she had asked the skirt portion of the dress was several strips of fabric instead of one piece. Easier to hide and reach her gun. The black, red, and gold were mixed elegantly through out the dress. The bodice was red with black lace. It cut low on her cleavage leaving enough to imagination while flirting erotically with indecency. There were no straps. The black lace of her strapless push up bra was visible but looked to be a part of the dress. There was mostly gold in the skirt and when she walked it resembled fire. The dress itself was modest enough as a whole and hid her weaponry well. The mask designed for the ball was beautiful and when adorned made her cheeks look a pleasant pink. Her black leather boots were thigh high and covered the tip of her gun a bit awkwardly but enough to not be suspicious. The boots laced from the beginning of her ankle to her thigh, they lay unlaced. They were a bitch to lace when new.

Her lips were died a blood red in cliché with the old adage and her long black hair was half up and fell in a spiral of curls, unadorned. Her eyes were painted black around the edges and also otherwise unadorned. Her pallor was milky in color and pale to the eye. The thought of a tan with her newest asset the sun was a wonderful thought. No. She couldn't. It was still too dangerous.

Propping her leg on the table she clasped the leg holster around her thigh the Velcro hissing as it came together. When she went to remove her gun from the holster that usually hung from her side she was pissed because it wasn't there. Her gun was fucking gone. She had left it at the scene. Damn it.

Pissed because that was her favorite gun she walked to her cabinet and chose a black Glock 21SF 45ACP. Tearing off the plastic she opened the box, grabbed the gun, shoved the unused magazine in, put the safety on, jammed it into the holster on her leg, snapped it shut, and finished tying her boots. It was the same make and model as the one she had left behind at the scene.

She shut the gleaming rosewood cabinet and paused. Her brow furrowed. There was a kid in her room now. Did that mean she had to lock this thing for safety? She knew next to nothing about kids. Grimacing she encoded the lock on it. Most of the locks in her room and out were finger print coded for security. Being a Captain in the SAVR, Defense and Special Operations portion put unlimited reign over the manor at her fingertip, quite literally.

She paused yet again. What was she going to do with Shippo until the ball was over? Kids were not allowed as a rule.

"Shippo?"

He had been silent the entire time. Her room wasn't exactly kid friendly. What did he do in here when she was gone? His feet padded on the floor as he came to answer her call, "Yes Kagome?"

"You know the ball is tonight, right?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to be okay here by yourself until I get back? I might not be back until tomorrow night. You'll be okay right?" She was nervous leaving him alone but wanted to cover every eventuality.

"Of course, I'm almost out of food though." He said thoughtfully.

"I will get you more." She thought about it and decided to ask anyway. "What do you, you know, do while I am gone?"

"Mostly watch television. Normally I would be training for the Lord's army."

"I have a TV?" Her eyes were wide beneath the mask.

"Yes, you do. Here." He took her hand and led her to another room and opened a big cabinet to reveal a big TV. Kagome was surprised. "You never knew it was here?"

She shook her head. "That explains why there was so much dust on it." He said thoughtfully.

She shook her head and bent down to his level. "You're going to be okay in here, right?"

His chest puffed real big as his hands settled on his hips, "Of course." She couldn't resist and reached out to tickle his. He giggled as he rolled on the floor laughing under her agile fingers.

"Be good." She smiled. "Be careful." She said more seriously.

She straightened her skirt and donned her long black hideous trench coat. Fretting with the buttons trying to get her skirt to cooperate she was finally successful. "Right," and nodded to Shippo.

She almost had the door closed when she heard him holler, "Wait!"

She opened it back up and stood in the frame, "You look beautiful Kagome. Have fun at the party." She grinned, stepped forward, and picked him up to envelope him in a hug. Caught up she kissed him on the forehead before setting him back down.

She ruffled his hair affectionately; "I will try," then walked out the door smiling.

⋆⋆⋆

The party had been going on for an hour before she arrived. She stopped by the bar and picked up some of the synthetic blood with a little Jack Daniels, less than a thimble full and took up a post on the edge of the party goers and scanned the costumes. Through smell she could tell which patrons were lycan and which were vampire.

Most of the women were scantily dressed, very immodest. One woman's skirt was so short it barely covered her butt cheeks and lifted when she twirled. Disgusted she lifted a finger to the back of her ear to flick the security radio embedded there. She spoke lowly but with the frequency security, who were all ordered to have theirs on, heard her clearly, "Status reports."

Silence was interrupted as each member gave their take on the events of the evening. When Miroku came on she resisted to roll her eyes, "The women are totally fire. Sango I didn't mean it that way. You know I only have hands for you, darling."

Kagome stilled when she felt hands on her sides and soft breath on her neck before she was given a kiss. She felt a pleasurable tingle down to her toes. The silver hair that fell over her shoulder gave him away along with his scent. She almost moaned as he caressed her with his lips. "Inuyasha."

He smiled into her shoulder, "Kagome, you look absolutely stunning this evening. All the gentlemen have their eye on you this night."

She turned and he held her at arms length before bowing and holding out his hand to her, "May I have this dance?"

"A perusal around the room would be nice," she smiled setting down her drink on a nearby table, "Thank you for asking." She was sure to shoot down that it was because of his charm she was dancing with him. She didn't want him to have any inkling it was a sexual acceptance.

Never losing his smile he swept her in his arms and pushed them through to the dance floor. The music was classical played by a quartet of vampires making the orchestra. It was elegantly done and had Kikyo's name all over it. She was Inuyasha's assistant, Kagome's friend, and totally had the hots for him. If he could ever get his blind from her he might notice. Sometimes he was so oblivious. She had pointed it out to him several times growing up, but he always said she was too cold for him.

As they danced it was almost like old times. When they were best friends, before he developed his love interest in her. She shook it away, sleeping with him would be bad.

The decorations were lavishly done. They had decided to hold it outside this year under the starlit sky. Columns of stone wee draped in green ivy beautifully so from years of neglect, but added to the beauty of the night. Stone clicked under her heels as they danced and Kagome found herself memorizing scents and costumes. With anyone else this night would have almost been romantic.

She heard the scream and the scuffle. No one else seemed to and she apologized before running from Inuyasha in the direction of the noise.

Inuyasha was pissed when she once again ran from his arms to fuck knows where and he strode from the floor angrily to get another drink.

⋆⋆⋆

She was here. He could smell her. It only took moments to locate her. He watched her from across the room as she sipped her drink. He watched her discreetly flick her ear and murmur lowly into the air. He moved closer to catch what she was saying. Her lips stopped and she sipped more of her drink scanning the crowd. From his vantage point ten feet away he could tell it was blood mixed with a hint of Jack Daniels. She looked exotic standing there as he thoguht how best to accost her. Then he emitted a low growl as he watched some dunce come and lavish her bare shoulder with kisses and caress her sides.

Lycan near him backed away at the hostility of his growl. He watched as the bastard bowed and held out his hand for a dance. His eyes narrowed as she accepted setting her glass aside with a small smiled and put her hand in his where the male pulled her into his embrace sweeping her out to the floor. They danced for what seemed to be eternity to his tunnel vision and his eyes gleamed.

He watched a silent predator for his opening. But it came in the form of her looking away from her partner as she heard what he heard, a scream. It was faint and no one else gave it a thought. How could a woman, a vampire woman no less hear something that diluted. Between the powerful chords of the music, the chatter of guests, and the clatter of dining ware, it was a wonder she heard it at all. He read her apology on her lips and saw her run towards him. She brushed past him so fast he only had a brief moment to sniff to get a deeper mark of it. Her skirt swirled around the middle of her thighs flirting with her boots tip. He wanted to lick her there. Brushing the thought aside for further inspection of his latest fascination he strode out after her tracking her scent like a hound his prey consuming his mind.

⋆⋆⋆

Kagome's skirt billowed forcefully around her as she ran, mostly a fiery blur to the untrained eye. Most didn't notice her and were unbothered by her hasty retreat.

As she ran Kagome's breath came out evenly. She raced in the night to the forest lying beyond the manicured lawn, the whimpers of a woman growing louder to her sensitive ears. She pulled her gun from the holster and continued to run. Switching to infrared to locate the woman she almost stumbled across her sprawled body and came to a halt. Flicking her ear once again she murmured lowly, "There has been a breech. A woman, lycan about a hundred yards southwest in the wood bleeding heavily from the larynx, cuts scattered heavily among her body, mostly teeth marks. I need back up. I believe we have a rogue on the loose. I repeat back up is needed."

"Help is on the way. Hold up there," Kagome heard Sango's voice across the distance. Leaving the airwave open Kagome tore a strip from her skirt and began dabbing at the blood on the woman's throat to try and clean it enough to heal. The saliva she put on the piece of cloth would have enough healing agents to close the wound but the woman would need medical attention.

A twig sapped from her left and Kagome had her gun positioned on the target. Silver hair caught her eye and her breath caught in her throat. It wasn't Inuyasha this time. It was mystery man, er, lycan. She looked at him with pleading eyes. "Help me."

He knelt at her side and helped her divest the lycan woman of her bloody gown. Teeth marks were barraged along her body.

"Stay with her until help arrives. I have to go find the one who did this before any more damage is done."

He caught her arm before she could turn completely away. "You say help is on the way. She will live. You are not going out there alone."

Kagome pulled her arm away, "I have to. It is under control. It is my job." Then she was gone. He cursed.

Kagome looked to her side and was annoyed to see a powerful lycan running next to her. She recognized him by the silver sheen of his fur. "I told you to stay."

Then she was aware of an evil presence much like the one that ravaged the woman's body. She reached up and used a branch to swing up into the tree above her, twisting her body lithely and landed with a soft thud, silver fur no where in sight. Her breath came out in soft inaudible puffs of air that were foggy to her sight. She watched as below her a woman, lycan, was bound, gagged, and being drug across the damp earth. The woman was beautiful to her eyes even with the mars to her porcelain skin.

Her captor chuckled lightly as the woman moaned and squirmed to get lose. "Now, now love you're not to get loose. I will get nasty if you do."

Kagome had her gun trained on the center of his head when a silver mass sprang forth from the undergrowth and grabbed the vampire with locking jaws. The vampire struggled minutely before the disks in his neck were separated and blood gurgled from his mouth, eyes gaping like a fish at her unseeing. Then his head was snapped from his body left lying three feet from his body. His body crumbled to ash with a sick gnarled twisting of his features.

She watched as the man's features lengthened to his more human form. It was grotesquely hypnotizing.

She stepped forward her gun positioned at his lycan heart, ready to fir with her silver bullets. One could never be too careful. "I told you I had it under control. I did not need any outside assistance."

"Oh during which part. Where he was about to rid her of her life force or when he was about to tear into her stomach?" He roared hands up in the air exasperated.

"It was under control. I had a clear shot. I was aimed and had I pulled the trigger I would have caught you instead." She stepped forward menacingly now toe to toe with him. "You overgrown Kishu Inu." She added emphasis by pushing him away with her hands. He didn't move an inch. He was like a god damned brick wall and she hated him for it. She kept hitting him with her fists until he pulled her into a restricting hug that bound her arms to her chest in an erotic push of flesh, her fingers limp against his chest. Her teeth strained against her rosy lips and he found his erection pulsed readily.

She was beyond mad. She took a calming breath, "Better now?"

She nodded, "Would you let go of me."

He released her and watched as she turned her back to him and walked a few paces away. She was so hot and cold. Absolutely fascinating. Her voice had a husky musical lilt to it. He found he wanted to hear it more. He frowned. He was getting attached. Fuck her, kill her, go home.

He watched her shoulders tense, "I don't even know your name," Then she laughed, it was like velvet over water. "Like it matters you're the enemy, I'm the enemy. Forget I mentioned it." She turned held out her hand, "Nice to meet you again on this day of peace. I have a raising ceremony to attend." He didn't accept her hand and she clenched her fist then dropped it. "Okay too much. Have a nice evening, sir."

Then she turned and walked away. "Sesshomaru." She stopped and turned back to him smiling then resumed walking. "And yours."

"Kagome."

He watched her disappear again for the second time that evening.

⋆⋆⋆

When she arrived back at the dance she saw the stage was lit up and the floor was dark. Inuyasha was giving his speech to the masses.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us this evening for this wondrous celebration." Thunderous clapping emerged. "Thank you. As this evening ends I wanted to introduce the staff who made all of this possible." Kagome half listened as she walked to the bar and ordered the same drink she had before. She sipped slowly to cool the buzzing in her head. Before long she found she had downed the entire drink and had just turned and ordered more when she heard her name among the silence. She turned at the sound and looked expectantly. No one was there.

"Kagome." She could have smacked herself. She flicked her ear turning her communicator on.

"Yes?"

"We have the woman and another was brought to our attention. There were remains found that were a close match with the aura left at each scene. The son of a bitch was already dead by the time we got to him."

"Yes subject was terminated by me. I forgot to inform you." She turned back to see another flute waiting and sipped it gratefully.

She watched as on stage Inuyasha continued to charm the guests. "Now we will bring the current Lycan Lord of the last two hundred and fifty years, his predecessor and father was the great Inu No Taisho to the stage to be introduced. Sesshomaru Taisho." Applause erupted from the crowd and most were lycan hands. She watched as Sesshomaru took the stage and shook hands with Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru then took the microphone and waited for the applause to die down before speaking, "Thank you for attending this evenings events. I am glad most of you came."

Inuyasha then accepted the microphone back, "Alright now. Give it up for the current Ambassador of the vampires, Midoriko." Midoriko stepped from the shadows beautiful in her age. She wore a simple elegant gown that was a soft gold and floor length. It gently flared from her waist and accentuated her curves. The bodice was a halter and tied behind her neck, the line of the neck rested at the beginning of the crevice of her breasts. She was a sight to behold.

"Again we thank you for your attendance this evening. It was a pleasure to see you having a wonderful time. But alas it is time to come to a close with our celebration. As you know this is my last evening as the reigning Ambassador. Naraku will be taking my place as your Lord. These last two centuries were a good run and I look forward to seeing all of you again in my next trial."

Kagome could only concentrate on the fact that the Sesshomaru on the stage was the same Sesshomaru she had met twice now. He was the Lord of the Lycan. She was sexually attracted to the Lord of the Lycans. Not only was it against her principle of mind but her vows. This wasn't good. She couldn't kill him today. She could fuck him today, the idea held appeal. Then kill him. Sate her sexual desire then fix her guilt.

She had fucked lycans before, playing the vampire slut in the mission not trusting or wanting to put anyone else in danger. This would be no different. Superiority to their species with the death of their coveted leader and a personal gain for the herself.

She watched Midoriko bring the celebration to a close and bid the guest good night.

When Kagome made sure all the guest were gone it was a quarter to three and the sky was losing it's darkness in the face of the oncoming morning. The stars were still visible in the sky. Twilight.

There was a crew hired to clean up the mess in the waking hours. A small umph escaped her as she turned right into someone. "Pardon me." She rubbed her head and looked up into the amused eyes of the Lycan Lord. _Such pretty eyes._

"You are excused."

She was silent looking at him waiting ever aware of the rising sun. _Mmm she wanted._ If he asked her to do it right here on the floor she would be scared for her morals and be tempted to indulge.

"It is almost morning." His baritone intoned.

"Yes it is."

"Will you make it back to your place of residence safely?"

"It matters not." She said lightly with a smile. "I will be fine."

"Hn."

"Well, have a good morning Lord Sesshomaru."

"Hn." He heard the slight hostility in her voice. "Does it bother you I am a Lord?"

She laughed shortly, "It might have been nice to know I was conversing with royalty." She shook her head with a frown and made to leave.

He captured her arm and pulled her back to face him, "Would it have made a difference. Would you have looked at this Sesshomaru and different than you do now." Her eyes blazed with hostility. He reached his fingers and turned her chin up, "Such hostility. Do you condone me that much?"

She growled lightly and tried to tug her arm free. His grip was cutting into her arm and only tightened at her struggle. "You will answer me."

He shook her arm, she snapped and began shouting, "I don't know. Okay, I just don't know. One minute I am am fawning over you like a goddamned high school girl with a fucking crush and the next it is like I never knew what the hell that feeling was. I don't get involved with lycans as a rule. I have obligations to my people. I can't compromise myself I worked to goddamned hard to get where I am." She jerked her arm away from him as his grasp slackened in surprise. "Don't touch me."

He stepped forward, "I will touch you as I please."

She stopped turning back to him and stepped forward exasperated, "You know what..." She growled and threw her hands up in the air, "Never mind. Fuck it." She turned and waving her hand over her head leaving again she said, "Have a nice life Lord Sesshomaru."

He then growled and strode towards her leaving figure, "Come with me."

"What?"

"Come with me."

She threw her hands up in the air again, "To where?"

"My estates."

She looked incredulously at him, "Why so you can burn me? Behead me? Stake me in my vicious vampire heart?" Her gaze was heated.

"I was thinking more along the lines of fucking you."


	6. Chapter 5: Torment

_I suggest listening to a song with a dark violent rock beat to it. Mudshovel by Staind is good to get in the mood for this lemon. It is what I wrote it to. _

* * *

_You take away  
I feel the same  
All the promises you made to me, you made in vain  
I lost myself inside your tainted smile again._

* * *

Their first time together as lovers wasn't loving at all. It was animalistic. Need, want, desire, give and take. 

Kagome could barely contain herself as she remembered his heated exclamation, _I was thinking more along the lines of fucking you._ And fuck her he better do. She was so goddamned hot. All this clothing on her sensitive skin was making her dizzy.

Touching, teasing, pleasing the prelude of the foreplay that was never there. They were rough, bruising with hands and teeth. Groaning with pleasure, moaning with need.

As he ravaged her neck she moved restlessly beneath him rubbing, seeking. Her teeth were extended, her eyes a blazing blue they seemed to glow. Her legs locked around his waist as he moved against her, separated by cloth. The heels on her boots drug across his back leaving goose bumps across his body, contrasting with the fire building inside him. Hot, so fucking hot he was going out of his mind.

His body was pulsing. His blood pounding to his own ears. His body was crawling with it. He wanted this woman more than anything.

He let her push his jacket from his shoulders, and jumped when she yanked his shirt from being tucked in his pants separating the fastenings with a rip. He groaned into her mouth as their tongues fought. He could feel her move her hands in a sensual tangle from his shoulders to the hem of his pants where she teased. She unbuttoned those with a flick of her hands that sent her fingers playing across his chest with the hair that was there trailing her fingers to the hair above his crotch and lower still, she smiled into his mouth.

"Fuck me. Fuck me hard," She gave his dick a squeeze at the base pulling to the tip with her husky command and she bit his tongue sucking it into her mouth, holding it there with her lips before biting down gently and pulling away scraping her teeth across the soft surface. He felt his body go pleasurably numb.

His most sacred bits were hard against her. She rubbed her hips against his and moaned. Her hands guided him to her opening pushing aside the thin strip of cloth covering her and with a thrust he was deep inside. Her muscles were quivering in her arms and legs. She felt so liquidy.

He was bigger than any of her past lovers, lycan or vampire. He stretched her to capacity and it hurt the first few moments that seemed to stretch out to hours. It was almost like her first time all over again, then he began to move. It was a frenzy, hips pistoned, thrusted, found purchase and grated.

She squirmed as he brought forth the need in her to a new frequency. She was vibrating with it. Her breasts were jarred out of her dress and moved forcefully. They also hurt. But it was a good hurt. A masochistic hurt. One that had her pushing back with her own thrusts forcing him to accomodate her with a rougher level of speed that his cock hit against her vaginal walls. Her mouth was open in a silent moan eyes closed, his was above her almost close enough to capture her lips but was impossible.

It was dark inside the limo and the windows were fogged. As the beginnings of an orgasm began to build she felt the ripples of it inside her. Her muscles clenching around his cock as if she practiced Kegels.

He barely registered one of her legs coming from around his waist as she brought it sensually up his bare side and through his arm to rest on his shoulder changing the angle of his thrusts. Then she bit him. Sunk her teeth deep into the muscle of his neck, felt them quiver against her lips, and began drinking his life's blood. The pleasure was intense and he felt the orgasm explode within him in a brilliant abyss to which he plunged. He was too blinded by the light behind his eyes to tell whether she came with him. He thrust a few more times prolonging his pleasure then he felt her nails clench in his back digging deep and heard her muffled shout against his neck as her whole body went rigid feeding from his cock.

He lay a crumbled mess atop her as she finished up drinking his blood and ran her tongue sensually across the wound. He felt her leg move from his shoulder and land with a soft thud on the floor. He didn't have the strength to lift himself off of her and slid down to rest his head on her breasts. Her body reacted to the tickle of his hair across her nipples and they hardened painfully. She lay just as limp beneath him breathing heavily.

"Oh god. Oh god. I can't move." He heard her words but didn't register them.

"Nhyah." It was muffled against her breast as he watched a nipple dance in his face. He wanted to bite it. He was hypnotized. He couldn't move and he wanted to suck on her damn nipple like a fucking pup.

His vision was fuzzy and he was dazed. He felt the car lurch to a stop. Feeling his limb come back to him he lifted up and found they were in the drive in front of his house. He pulled out of her with a slight suction and she moaned a little. He grinned. It was wide and lethal. He saw her disarray and pulled her dress back up to cover her ample breasts. One of her boots had come untied and he tied it for her. His eyes locked on the holster on her thigh and saw it was faintly red from rubbing, his eyes darkened knowingly. He donned his shirt leaving it to flow open since there were no working buttons left on it.

It was still dark but the sky was tipped with a light. He picked her up out of the car and carried her into the protection of the house.

⋆⋆⋆

They had made it to the hallway before she woke up. He had her on the table, the stairs leading to the second floor, against the wall in the hallway to his room, and then again on his bed in various positions.

Kagome woke up the next night in a strange bed, groggy, and limber. She remembered all of last night. Being a vampire had some very nice attributes.

The silk around her was warm from her body heat and slithered across her body to pool at her waist as she sat up.

The room was amazing. The walls were painted shimmering gold that glittered to her eyes in the night warmly. It was sparsely furnished with dark cherry wood furnature. A desk was stacked neatly with papers. It had four drawers, two on each side. There was a small table by the door with a vine plant growing a vibrant green in a round brown bulbous pot. There was another door in the room that led to what she assumed was a closet. The hard wood floor was lacquered to a shiny polish that reflected the moon light from the balcony. The doors leading to the balcony were thrown wide open letting the night air seep in. The curtains billowed playfully with the slight breeze and the calming sounds of the night reached her ears.

Some of it had been romantic. The sex was varied and exciting. Like nothing she had ever felt before.

She was so fucking hungry. Any sustenance from last night was now gone, used up, and consumed in her energy.

She looked to the man laying by her on the left side and waited. His silver hair glistened against the black silk of his sheets and the blue of his pillow. The man lived in comfort. He was beautiful to her eyes. His chest rose and fell evenly before her and her hand itched to reach out and touch him. To tell her he wasn't some dark angel she conjured up. His mouth was sinful. One that was made to whisper dark, erotic, consuming poetry into the ears of women. His jawline was strong. His ears came to points that were accustomed to full blooded lycans. She knew that his eyes would be the same color as his room and were a liquid gold that made her think of tranquil waters when he looked at her, and raging rapids when he was angry. What she waited for was the guilt to rise.

Anything from betraying Hojo, to her vows. None were forthcoming but she knew what she had to do. She slipped from under the sheets and made her way to where her clothes were piled. All her weapons were there. She got dressed and made her way back over to the bed. Her gun was out and ready to fire.

Her hand was shaking as she pointed it at his head. A quick shot in the brain. He wouldn't feel a thing. Then she could leave. The service would be a problem. Did he live here with others of the lycan population or by himself? No one else was there last night when they had consummated. She would have known.

Her arms were uncontrollable. She jerked and hit the trigger. An audible click registered to her brain. _The safety was still on._

_"_I'll give you guts. I didn't actually believe you would do it." His voice rose out of the darkness of the room.

She was silent. She had nothing to say. She felt something rolling down her cheeks and reached up a finger to find out what it was. It was more tears. The second time in a matter of days she had cried. She jammed her gun back into the holster.

"Of course I don't blame you. I tried to do the same." His voice seemed far away. "As you slept. It was supposed to be so easy. Fuck her, kill her, go home." He sat up abruptly and crawled across the bed to her. She backed away from him as he slipped off the bed and walked towards her his eyes that of a predator scenting it's prey. He matched her step for step until he had her back against the wall.

"It was different. I knew it would be. I've never had this with any other. The detachment was necessary. But with you," He laughed, "It seems nothing is easy." He caged her in with his arms and set his head on her shoulder. "You have done something to me." He began sniffing at her neck and she felt his teeth graze her lightly, goosebumps skittered across her skin. She cried out when he bit her forcefully and lapped at her blood. Something exploded inside of her. Memories resurfaced.

_The blood glinting off the lanterns alight in the stone room. Cold so desperately cold. He kneeled shivering watching his breath as he exhaled in the oxygen deprived air. His head was hung and his arms bound behind his back, silver chains. His head raised at the sound of a door creaking open and slamming shut. Fifteen of those bastards came in. She began to scream and cry, tears rolled pitifully down her dirt stricken face. He watched with dark glittering eyes as the woman child before him begged for her life to the vampires. She was only ten. Still a pup by lycan aging. _

_They moved into his line of view blocking her from his sight. If he had the energy to growl he would have roared. She was his to protect. How dare they touch something that was fucking his._

_He heard her screams and barely felt when they began to whip him for his insolence. Her screams pounded in his head in time with the whip on his back haunting him when her cried became silent whimpers. Blood splattered his hair as it lay over his shoulder. He watched in the shadow as the monster behind him beat him repeatedly. They left him broken and lying on the ground puddled in his blood. The woman child was removed from the room._

_Her blood remained teasing his nostrils, the scent of their rape brightening his redemption. Then the darkness._

She yelped when he pulled back from her. His breathing was heavy and uneven. She bolted out his balcony window and landed on the ground crouched at a dead run.

His voice reached her in the night, "You are mine. You won't escape me."

Her neck pulsed where he bit her. She had never suffered from a lycan bite. It was absolutely different from the pleasure of a vampires. This hurt like hell. But as she ran the pain ebbed and she had no idea where she was.

The woods were dense and heavy around his home. She knew his words rang true she would never escape him again. With the exchanging of blood there would be a connection. One forged that could only be destroyed with the destruction of one of the ones linked. She now had two people connected to her. The memory, not hers, was proof. Her sire, and Sesshomaru. Hojo hadn't been. They hadn't tried. She had to have the implicit acceptance of her sire to their union for it to be legitimized. With out it it was considered disrespect among the vampires. They were going to ask when she next saw him, but her sire wasn't around at the moment, _at least not for a few more minutes. _From the position of the moon in the sky he would be in the world of the living any second now. There was nothing to be done about it now. The connection was made and nothing could separate it.

She felt something ram into her head and she collapsed to her knees with a cry holding her temples. _Come to me, _was resounding in her head. She fought to push him out, it was like a jackhammer was being rammed into her brain. The electric shock of it had her moaning in pain and tears leaking from her eyes. She was being forced to comply with his command.

She pushed back at him forcing him from her head. The pain subsided and she got to her feet on shaky legs. She stumbled a couple more steps and found herself face to face with Sesshomaru. He grabbed her shoulders and straightened her up.

"Sesshomaru," she said weakly and collapsed in his arms. _I said to come to me. _Her sire was risen and commanding her to comply with his wishes.

_No,_ she pushed him out of her head. _You dare defy me._ She could feel his presence in her mind then that of another. She knew it was Sesshomaru and forgot her reason to be mad at him. His warmth in her brain relieved some of the pain her sire was inflicting for her insolence and she knew he was siphoning the pain from her, bearing it for her.

"No it is my pain to bare. Not yours." She felt his hands clutching and bruising her arms as he endured. His eyes were rolling back into his head as her sires anger increased. In a resolute of hope she pushed them both out and slammed up the walls to her conscious.

Sesshomaru collapsed to the ground taking her down with him. "Sesshomaru. Wake up come on." She shook him. When he didn't move she bit into her wrist and held it above his mouth. She watched the liquid drip across his teeth. She sat there waiting in painfully agonizing seconds until she cried out when he swallowed. Her blood would heal what ever damage her sire inflicted upon him when he took her pain.

She helped him sit up when he began coughing and choking. She patted his back and murmured to him that he was going to be okay.

His eyes were bitter and hard on hers when he spoke, "You never mentioned who your sire was."

"You never asked."

"I would have liked to know."

"Then ask next time." His eyes heated with something dangerous. She stood and left him on the ground. She began to walk away from him.

"Don't you walk away from me. Don't you fucking walk away from me."

"I can and I will. You have no hold on me."_ A lie._ It was becoming increasingly hard to keep her sire and Sesshomaru out.

"Please." It was pathetic and came out as a whisper.

"My sire calls I have to heed him." She watched him nod carefully.

"You will return to me when you are finished with your sire."

"I can't." She was looking at the ground now.

"Is there someone else?"

"Yes."

"Who?" His voice was hard and edgy. When she didn't respond he rose and yanked her to him and he took a deep inhale of her scent. There was anther scent on her. It was lycan and young. "Why have you a young lycan. What is the meaning of this?" He sounded disgusted and pushed her away from him.

"No!" It was shouted. He looked at her speculatively his eyes narrowed to little slits.

"Explain." It was short and came out as a barked order.

She did. Everything about Shippo from when she found him to the present. "And you continue to endanger his life by housing him in a house full of vampires." Memories dashed before his eyes of her broken body as they dragged her away.

The name rippled in her head before he could conceal his thoughts. "Who's Rin?"

His breath came out of his nose in a strangled gasp. His eyes were hard as granite, "No one you need to concern yourself with. You will never speak that name again." He spoke cutting off her stream of questions. "You will bring the young one and meet me again tomorrow night." His eyes locked with hers, "At sundown. You will not be late."

She had to be careful, "I will try."

"Not good enough. I will not endanger one of my young." He spat, "At the mercy of any vampire who runs across him."

She was pissed and was shouting before her mind caught up with what she was saying, "Oh and where the hell were you during the week after his parents were murdered. While he was alone in a dank alley vulnerable to any who might come across him. You are damn lucky it was me and I had compassion for him. There are many others who would have used him for a donor and left him empty to rot." She was poking him in the chest. He caught her hand and brought her finger to his mouth and sucked.

The sharp contrast of the cool night with his warm mouth had her gasping and her body going wet as it pooled in her lower region. Then he kissed her long and deep, seductively and trailed his fingers down the side of her face and body to rest on her hips, "You will return to me with the pup tomorrow." His eyes were heated and consuming her whole, they also said there was no room for argument. She felt things in places that were just unnatural. The flash of an image, a promise in her mind sealed her and she knew she would do anything he asked.

He turned leaving her standing in the woods, then he turned and she saw the dark promise alight in his eyes, "Remember," _You are mine._

The sheer intimacy of the way he said it had her watching him far until he was out of the sight of her vampire eyes.

⋆⋆⋆

She entered the house and went straight to her room to take a shower. She had to be presentable for her sire. When she entered her room it was dark. She walked to the bed to see Shippo curled up a ball atop the covers. She kneeled and kissed his forehead.

His eyes opened sleepily and he whispered out her name. "Yes, I've returned."

"Okay. How was the ball?"

"It was," she paused, "okay."

"Oh. I see."

He looked ready to nod off again but she picked him up and sat on the bed resting him against her chest in her lap. "Shippo. I need you to wake up for a minute." His head rose. "You like being here with me right?"

"Yes."

"You do know that other vampires live here and your presence is increasingly becoming more dangerous. I don't want anything to happen to you." He was silent.

"What do you mean?"

"I like having you here. Sometimes I feel bad because I leave you alone a lot. What I am trying to say is that, I have spoken to Lord Sesshomaru." Shippo's eyes brightened then dulled.

"Oh."

"He is ordering I bring you back to him. I agree with him on some levels. It would be more beneficial for you to be raised in a community with your own kind."

"Do you not want me to stay?"

"No. I would keep you forever if I could. I will be able to visit you and see you often enough. I would miss you if I wasn't able to." These things had to be said for his benefit, but they were true and she couldn't deny it.

"I understand. When do I leave."

"Tomorrow night. Lord Sesshomaru has requested that I bring you to him as soon as possible."

"Okay." He began drifting again.

"Shippo I have to leave again. I am going to shower first but I had to speak to you about it."

He yawned and fell asleep against her halfway through a mumbling okay.

She smiled and laid him on the bed.

Then she showered.

⋆⋆⋆

He was livid. He called for her over an hour ago. _Where the fuck are you._

He waited. _Outside your door._ He opened it. She stood there she looked delectable. His eyes became hooded with lust. He reached for her and brought her body up against his. "I have waited two hundred years to have you again." He kissed her brutally with his pent up passions.

"Stop. Naraku." He pulled away at his name.

"Speak Kagome. I can only be a patient man for so long." He walked away from her to the bar and came back with a flute of blood.

A whiff of it had her brain spinning, it was real and laced with a sweet expensive wine. She took it and held it glad to have something to do with her hands. She wanted to run them all over his body. _Where the hell did that come from._ She watched him take a sip looking at her over the rim of the glass. He was beautiful her sire. Beautifully evil. She knew his deepest and inner most desires. _You deny yourself._ He wanted to be the only ruler of the vampires with unlimited power and persuasion. He had no knowledge she knew these things.

During sex it was hard to keep complete control over ones thoughts and sometimes things leaked out.

"I wanted to ask you something." She was skirting around the issue which was unusual for her. She was straight forward by nature and a hellion in battle.

"Well heaven forbid you forget what you want to say."

"I just," words failed her when he looked at her his eyes electric. His influential power was pervading her senses. Her mind was clouded with his lust for her, making it her own. It was the deepest connection shared between the sire and the sired. An almost inhumane one, but they were hardly humans.

He set his glass on the table beside him and took two steps forward to stand directly in front of her. "If you have nothing else to say," he took her glass from her hand and set it on the table beside his, "then lets move on."

A ferocity was in his features and she gasped as images were postulated in her brain. She was panting as she looked at him, her chest heaving. His gaze was on her breasts, teeth resting provocatively against his luscious lips.

She knew deep inside it was he who was making her feel this way. But in this connection his pleasure was her own. Just as it would be with Sesshomaru from now on. That thought left her a little guilty. But she couldn't deny Naraku any more than she could herself. He made her into the beginnings of what she was tonight.

He wouldn't let her deny him. And as he swept her into his realm she lay there later next to him and knew she wouldn't be able to deny herself.

⋆⋆⋆

As Sesshomaru lay there that night he felt her pleasure and wanted to hate her for it. But he knew he could not.

_You will be mine._ Was his last thought before succumbing to sleep.

The words echoed in her head feeding her guilt.


	7. Chapter 6: Temptation

_"Come with me into the trees. Let's go away back to the land. Blood of the moon share your gift. Shine on our flesh warm our hides" A child's voice sang into the clearing in the language of her homeland as she danced around the feir1 and _clover_. Her bare feet were used to the terrain and gave her little if no discomfort. "__Run with the glow heat our blood. Whole and glittering light the night."  
_

_Her dress was white and glowed in the moon light as she twirled and swayed. "__Shift into freedom oldest of paths. Strip to the wolf skin deep inside." The lullaby sung to her by her mother and to her mother passed down through the ages. __"Holy are the body shared in no weakness. __ Silver in light no harm hath becometh. Silver of blade beware for the life."_

_Humming as she walked the path she sang to the moon. Her eyes flashed as she walked and she felt the wind pick up as the change was inside her. "__Walk in the abundance of loup garou divine and cunning." The last line echoed in her head as she raced through the fields at the call of her brothers.  
_

Kagome clawed her way to the surface of her dreams and found she was sweating. The dream was unsettling. It had seemed so real.

Rolling over Kagome checked her digital watch and found the time was eight thirty. The sun was setting as she woke.

Her room seemed empty since Shippo's departure. His scent remained and was stale.

He had been adopted by a lycan family she hadn't met but was assured they would take good care of him. She took Sesshomaru's word for it.

Her cell phone was blinking signaling that she had a missed call and a message. As she listened to the message she began to get ready to shower.

"Kagome, it's Sango. There is a meeting tonight in the black room. Divvying up of the assignments. I heard that someone is going to be sent overseas to investigate recent human diplomat slaughterings in Ireland. But you wouldn't know anything about that since you never turn on the television. It is kept hush hush since they are prominent in society but word is they think Dante Paris is behind it. Sneaky little bastard." Kagome felt the pang of hearing the place of her home land. "It would be a nice reprieve. Ah, Ireland and the chance to take down one of the slickest criminals in our world. Well, anyways, don't forget the meetings at 10:30. See you then."

Kagome closed her phone with a snap and set it on the bedside table next to her bed. She had taken to sleeping on her bed instead of in her coffin at night. It still smelled of him. _Hojo._ This was seriously not good. She had ordered her sheets to not under any circumstance be changed. Maybe it was time to let them go and begin to move on.

She took a deep breath inhaling the pillow he had last slept on. The scent was fading and in a day or two would be completely abated. Pressing the intercom button on her beside portable she hit the code for housekeeping.

She began holding her breath as she waited for someone to answer her call. When they did she asked for her bedding to be replaced. The woman on the other end revolted, "But miss you gave us strict orders that under no circumstance were they to-"

"I know what I told you and now I am telling you to change them." Irritated that she could hear the fear in her voice she frowned.

"Yes miss."

Sighing Kagome ended the transmission and hung her head in her hands. _You can do this Kagome girl be strong. You have distractions now. People to help you move on. _Rubbing her eyes she stood and walked to the bathroom turning the shower on so it could begin to get good and hot.

She let loose the tie in her hair and ran her hands through it's length. She looked long at herself in the mirror and could see the dark spots beneath her eyes. She hadn't been eating properly. Her body revolted any other blood but the blood of Sesshomaru, even her sires blood made her sick. She had denied herself Sesshomaru's blood because of strong headed 'I can take care of myself' reasons. She didn't need Sesshomaru or his blood. They may be tied together now by some ancient magic made in mockery but she had been doing fine taking care of herself the last two hundred years and didn't need anyone to do it for her now. At least that was what she kept telling herself. Growling she stepped into the shower and relaxed into it's comforting warmth.

With no one demanding anything from her or speaking in her head her shower promised to be pleasant. She stood under the spray and let it caress the aches from her body. Rubbing away the sadness and invoking delight. It was when she began to feel ghosts of fingers caress her she moaned. Touches tweaking, smoothing, provoking a dangerous desire within her blood. Ghostly fingers trailed down her chest and stroked her navel teasing her body. Her knees went weak and she fell against the wall of the shower barely held up by sheer will of strength. _Share in this with me Kagome. Touch me as I touch you. Bring the flame to my body as I burn you._ She sighed as he began to give her what she needed. Soft gentle pleasure.

His voice was a soft command a temptation in itself she let herself go and joined with him in his perusal of her body with strokes of her own. Connected as they were she imagined running her fingers across the smooth muscle hard beneath the surface of his skin. Running her fingers along tracing each groove of his definition. Stoking the fires of his blood calling to his nature. She walked around him and traced a path across his back. She kissed his shoulder and his soft silver hair. She shivered as the strands teased her nipples to taut peaks. Sensually she rubbed herself against his body. Scraping her nails up his sides and was delighted in the shiver she made him feel.

In a moment of weakness she grabbed the firm backside of his buttocks and rubbed her hips against him in desire. It coursed through her blood with simmering eruption. The arousal was tight in her belly knotted so deep she wished for him to unravel the length with intimate undoing. Wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against the strong muscle of his back she pressed against him and sighed. Content to feel the warmth of his body against hers as the waters beat against her flaming body.

Letting her hands slowly slide down his smooth defined stomach she played with the whorl of hair at his belly button. Rubbing her hand down his hips she touched his heated arousal. He hissed. Slowly she circled back around him continuing her dance and faced his front. His eyes were tinged with red, a common conception for lycan, like her eyes turn the shocking blue, and she was pleased. Grabbing a fistful of hair at the back of his head she brought his mouth to hers. His tongue was hot and silky, foreign and exciting.

She stopped thinking as his tongue, wet, slippery and warm, took control of her senses. His arms were strong around her crushing her to him, muscles vibrated in his stomach against her. I was ferocious the pleasure she received in the kiss. Warmth seeped into her bones melting them in to a slow simmering liquid.

His skin was hot under her stroking hands, tension rose in her loins in an almost painful embrace. She traced her tongue across his lower lip before drawing it into her mouth a letting it slide out with a gentle tug. His hands ran up her sides drawing quivers in her belly.

Dipping her head and putting space between them she traced the same path she had with her finger with her tongue. She felt rather than heard him suck in a breath as his hands gripped her shoulders. Chuckling she softly bit a pectoral. His stomach fluttered against her lips as she smiled into his stomach and nuzzled her nose breathing deeply in his intoxicating scent. _Like a forest. Blazing beautiful in the sunlight as it trickles through the trees glancing brightly on the soft grass._

"Mmm." She laved her tongue in a spiral back up the long, lean, sleek muscle of him. Very male. Very hers. His eyes were sinister with lust, clouded in red with desire, wild with something that sent her heart racing when she looked into them. Her loins tightened again and fluttered in a series mini orgasms. Still the void was there, incomplete, unfulfilled. His to fill. "Mine."

His body vibrated with the possession of her voice. He was hers. She was his. He pushed her roughly with a sounding smack against the shower stall wall and lifted her to his hips. A deep purring started in his belly then with the guided movements of her fingers between her legs she moaned deeply as he sunk home. His force of thrusts kept her against the wall and her buttocks hit with sharp smacks that heightened her pleasure. His hands grabbed her knees and spread them wide and he grunted with each slide.

She threw her head back and couldn't see past the white that swam in her vision, the pleasure that made her body tremble weakly and her mouth slowly open in a silent moan. His head came to her shoulder as he nuzzled her neck.

She gripped his broad beautiful shoulders as he plundered her body. Then she sunk her teeth home and took from him sustenance. His loud roar shook her body shaking her bones. Then he lost himself in her taking her over the sweetest peak, lost in oblivion, falling into an abyss of darkness.

⋆⋆⋆

When she came to herself her breathing was shallow and the water had turned cool against her heated skin. The interlude had her body trembling in the after effects of the shattering orgasm. When they subsided they were replaced with her hunger. She could go longer without the need to feed but it seems she had waited a little too long. There was no actual sustenance gained from the connection. She would have to feed for fear of losing her strength.

Sighing she turned the water off and wrung out her hair. She stepped out of the shower and towel dried her hair. She sat on the counter of the sink and shivered when the cool surface touched her then turned to face the mirror. Her body was relaxed and hummed lightly. Wiping her hand across the fog in the mirror she looked at herself. Her eyes had lost the haunted look. The dark circles were still under her eyes but with care and a good meal, they too would be gone.

Looking past her eyes she saw her skin had a subtle shimmering glow since she had begun experimenting with the sun after much debate and solid temptation. But not without first coming up with a good excuse. It had immediately gone from a pale ghostly white to a dusky gold. Her excuse if anyone asked was sunless tanning. It was just absurd enough for no one to ask questions. It also helped her to blend in with the humans when she got the urge to mingle.

Usually she went more with her element to the supernatural night clubs open to all manners of supernatural creatures. Vampires, shifters, chameleons, shades, etc. It was at one of those that she had originally met Hojo looking for a one night stand which turned in to more. Shaking her head of the thoughts she moved on. Humans truly were clueless to how paranormal the world is. The farthest humans believed from the normal these days was religion. Even that was pushing it. Smiling weakly at herself in the mirror she pulled away and left the bathroom.

She spent the rest of the time before the meeting toying on her laptop with programs, checking her stocks, and entering a memoir in her journal.

By the time she glanced at the clock again it was ten fifteen and gave her enough time to put her computer on stand-by and walk to the black room.

Sango, Miroku, and someone she didn't recognize were already there. In the next ten minutes the room filled with others she knew and some that she didn't.

The volume level increased and Kagome watched in her conversation with Sango as Naraku, Bankotsu, Jeningi and Inuyasha made their way to the center of the room. The volume level lowered significantly until there was only the sound of their soft footsteps.

She watched as Bankotsu, Inuyasha and Naraku took a seat and Jeningi remained standing.

His disposition commanded respect as the Commander and Chief of the Task force and special ops division of the SAVR. All eyes were trained on him some hopeful others indifferent.

He had a way of making everyone wait and it was effective. Then he spoke, "Alright," He clapped then rubbed his hands together while roving his eyes around the room, "it looks to be that everyone is here so we are going to start.

"I am aware that there are still some assignments as of now not yet complete so workloads may be spread and doubled. I have trust in you that you all can handle it one way or another."

Kagome took notes on who was doing what tasks and memo'd important information for the general public. She frowned when Jeningi turned the tables over to Bankotsu without assigning her anything.

She listened as Bankotsu spoke, "We have recently become aware of nuclear intelligence in the form of this." He held up one bullets she had brought back from her last mission. Some inquisitive looks were given, murmurs made, shifty glances, she merely leaned forward to pay more attention. "This is a bullet loaded with liquid radiation powerful enough to be a semi-fast acting portion of what the sun does to us when exposed. The purpose is when shot it is immediately activated and enters the bloodstream delivering a fully loaded quantity of artificial sunlight.

"It has been confirmed a product of rogue lycan means available on the black market and not a direct contribution. We estimate that a good percentage with connection to the black market will be armed with them. There is no antidote or potion that can remedy this injection. Once you are shot you will die.

"But one good thing has come of these." Bankotsu reached into his lab coat and produced a similar looking bullet with a brilliant silver instead of the blue. "These are loaded with silver nitrate. Deadly to any lycan." The lights went low and a projector hummed when it was turned on. The video was of it's tests, a rogue lycan was tested with effectiveness of the silver nitrate. It showed a lycan being shot in the chest once. The impact of the bullet with the body was enough to shatter the thin glass and release the silver into the body, some leaked out of the wound leaving a sizzling trail. It entered in the blood stream and through the chest of the lycan popped veins turning black on it's travel to the heart. In less two minutes the lycan was dead. The lights were activated once more and Bankotsu turned back to the troops.

"As you can see the silver nitrate is highly effective in it's test runs. With just one bullet when released into the blood stream the lycan will die. Each of you will be receiving a shipment of these bullets for operations and be expected to use them. We must know the type of gun they will be for and you will receive them in less than a week. We are already in production."

Jeningi took stand once again, "We ask you to visit the lab immediately to register for your share. We will supply you as needed. I would like for Captain Higurashi to remain, dismissed." The others filed out and left her alone. Sango gave her an affectionate squeeze of the shoulder and Miroku smiled as he walked by.

Once the door was closed and the seals placed Jeningi spoke again, "Kagome you might have heard rumors of a placement in Ireland." Kagome nodded. "Indeed, I am giving you the assignment. You are not going to be alone on this. There will be another of our placing." Kagome could sense there was something he wasn't saying, yet.

"Is there something else?"

"Ah, intuitive as always. Captain we have begun long before this day the prospect of joining forces with others of the supernatural races. No longer living in fear of lycans or any other. Each race is dwindling down by human hunters and rogues. Separate we are outnumbered greatly. Together, we could be invincible. In your mission, there will be one of lycan descendant. Lord Sesshomaru has requested to be a part of this mission."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest but a quiet shhh went through her mind. Her eyes locked with Naraku's his were on her but when she slipped into his mind it was far from shhhh. It was down right dirty and featuring her. Only one other could it be. _You are not supposed to be listening._

_Kind of difficult when you are broadcasting._

_Why should I not protest. I don't need a baby sitter and I certainly don't need anyone here to look out on my progress and possibly endanger the mission. _

_Darling, I plan far more than getting anywhere near endangering your mission._ It was said with so many scorching possibilities that Kagome's pulse jumped erratically remembering the interlude in the shower. She saw Naraku smirk. He probably thought it was his doing. Fat chance._ It is a chance to be near you unimpeded and to get a taste for how your missions work. I am simply curious. _

_Why?_

_If in the future we are to be working together I find it best if I have prior knowledge of what I am going into. _It had a double meaning to her. She found it hard to discern which he referred to as of now.

She pushed him out with a playful shove and tried to concentrate on the rest of the meeting.

"These are the files detailing the mission." He handed her a manilla folder that had papers and a hard copy disk to review. "I want you to have it memorized backwards. If there are no further questions..." He let it hang momentarily, "Then this meeting is adjourned, you are dismissed."

"Yes sir." Kagome stood and bowed then walked briskly out the door. She dropped by the lab and tagged Bankotsu.

"Ah, Kagome. Yes. Follow me please." Bankotsu led her from the formed line of agents to a door that was in the back of the outer office area of the lab. Coding his thumb print and voice analysis the door unlocked audibly with several clicks. It then swung open to admit them into a room completely white and illuminated brightly. It was a contrast from the dark room just on the other side of the door. She had only been in here once before upon her initiation for the placement of the tracker/communicator in her ear. It was full of slimy things, sophisticated gadgets, and ongoing experiments. The place gave her the creeps but it was full of cool things she wished to try out.

Kagome almost jumped when a voice not hers nor Bankotsu's spoke, "Please state your name for the records."A pleasant feminine automated voice commanded. _That was new._

"Schinintai, Captain Bankotsu accompanied by Higurashi, Captain Kagome at," He paused to check his watch, "00:21:02."

"Thank you Captain Bankotsu. Please seal your hands upon entrance in the lab. Enjoy your visit Captain Higurashi and we hope you will return soon."

Kagome was given a long white coat similar to the one Bankotsu was wearing and given a can of seal-spray to coat her hands with. She carried a mini bottle in her field kit when she dealt with jobs that required the utmost care.

"I was just coming down here to get my name on the list for the bullets."

"Ah yes. That will not be necessary. We have information for your fondness of the Glock 21SF 45ACP." The twinkle in his eye was unmissed and Kagome smirked.

"Indeed."

"I have several new developments for your journey that you will be given with your bullets." Kagome itched to reach out and touch some of the things that were sitting on the tables she passed by following him. She saw something particularly different that when she reached to touch it her hand was smacked sharply in reprimand. "No no, now you know the rules. I have a fondness for this particular model. It is a retractable bow that launches up to five arrows consecutively per minute." He lifted it up to inspect the model. "Made out of the purest titanium available. Not even on the market for military purposes yet. Government issue. But this is the final product. It's ready for the market. It is due for release in a week."

He took her hand and placed it in her palm. "Hold it right here, just like that, okay. Now press right here gently. Ah." Kagome did jump when the blasted thing swung around in her hand reshaping into a piece the size of a swiss army knife. "It is yours. Place it in your satchel and come along. Don't forget the arrows."

She placed it in one of the front zippers of her bag and reached for the arrows. They were silver tipped and sparkling silver marred the wood with specks that shimmered in the light of the lab. She tucked those away in her bag and forced herself not to hurry to catch up with him.

She watched him grab several pieces as he made his way back to a long stainless steel table. He laid out his pieces and began to show her what was what, it's purposes and vitality.

"This laptop it the most elaborate ever built. The military will never have a bid on it. It was developed strictly for our use. It can virtually be taken anywhere and a wireless signal can be sent to anywhere using this." He held up a small silver stick that looked like a memory stick complete with the out fittings for universal USB pluggage. It was almost as big as a third of her pinkie finger. "It is complete with all applicable programs needed for your mission and updates are sent out regularly by yours truly. It is the most sophisticated piece of equipment on or off the market. It has an excellent jamming signal, virus implements, and solid memory banks with enough available storage for more than ten computers. I trust you will know with your background training in electronics how to run this. It is simple. But get intimate with it. Child's play almost for the likes of you.

"Being intimately entwined with our super computer makes it's databases mostly limitless and the sleek compact design makes for easy storage and commuting. The logistics are simply unmatched in any other design. There is a code book here detailing the commands manually. It is registered to your voice patterns and programmed to respond to your commands. Know the codes. You must speak clearly, a wrong code could prove disastrous to the hard drive ultimately damaging it beyond repair. There is an automatic backup installed and sent every twenty minutes to the super computer here should that ever occur. Any data not saved will be lost.

"The rest of the equipment is pretty standard and need not explanation."

"Thank you Bankotsu. I appreciate everything." She began loading everything into her bag.

"No need, just doing my job. By the way, Sango gave this to me to give to you," He handed Kagome her gun she had left at the scene. His eyes were still twinkling with humor. "Good luck Captain. Have a safe journey." She shook his hand and walked away, hanging up the coat on the way out.

"We hope your stay was enjoyable Captain Higurashi." The automation said politely as she left the lab with determination in her step.

⋆⋆⋆

Sesshomaru had been unable to concentrate on nothing but his dream last night. That song just being reminisced in his dream was almost enough to send him into the change.

It wasn't to power of the song itself but in the lyrics. It was the last line invoked in ancient magics that only the dark wizards and witches of this day use. It was that line that held the power to bring on the change for the ones old enough to accept it without the moons embrace.

He truly hadn't been eves dropping on Kagome's meeting, he had been just about to suggest a nice dinner at one of his restaurants that would cater to their needs. It was no kept secret that this Sesshomaru had wealth and business to keep him wealthy enough. Considered one of the most powerful businessmen in and out of the lycan community.

The meeting was just an added benefit. He still had close to five hours before the sun would rise. enough time to collect Kagome and take her to dinner. He could feel her hunger batting at him strewing his concentration once more. It had been like this for days. He had been too busy to see her and likewise. She probably didn't know her emotions were broad casted to him when they were strong enough.

He always knew when Naraku summoned her.

Enough was enough, _Kagome._ He had much work to accomplish before they left and this was not helping.

His voice in her head surprised her a little. She had went back to her room to review and memorize the information for the mission.

**Abstract Information **

**Name: Dante Paris**

**Sex: Male **

**Species: Unknown, thought to be lycan but shows properties of other species **

**Location: Dublin, Ireland**

**Marital Status: Wife deceased  
**

**Hair: Brown**

**Eyes: Blue**

**Picture attachment on file  
**

**Wanted for proposed brutal assassinations of high standing Parliament members and forty other unsolved crimes attributed to him including the murder of his wife. Files detailing these assassinations are attached. **

Her mind was bogged down and his silky voice interrupted her thoughts. _Kagome, I don't like repeating myself._

_What?_

_You have yet to feed._ She resisted a childish so and instead chose silence._ Come to dinner with me. There is a lovely restaurant that will cater to our needs. _

The more she thought about it the more she felt her own hunger. _Okay._

_A car is on it's way now. Be ready in half an hour. Dress appropriately.  
_

Then he was gone and she was left to her own thoughts. She looked around her and realized her bed was a mess. After her meeting with Bankotsu she had holed up in her quarters and began her work. She felt she had a pretty good catch on who Dante Paris is, soon to be was if she had anything to do about it.

"Computer, save all files to folder label Dante Paris. Voice match and thumb print protection enable Higurashi, Captain Kagome."

_Working. _The thing moved with such efficiency and speed that Kagome was still in awe of the electronic advances. It was the wave into the future. Soon everyone would have a rendition of this. The computer hummed working to do as she commanded. _Task complete._

Stretching she moved from the bed and dug into her closet. She pulled out a long black dress that was a ruffled halter and the v in the neck ended midway to her belly button. There was a slit in the skirt that stopped just below the middle of her thigh. She decided to wear her thigh high boots and stuffed her Glock in the top of the boots fabric. Her hair fell in unkempt curls just sexy enough that she decided not to do anything with it.

She looked out to the paved drive and saw a sleek black limo pulling in. Grabbing a black clutch, she stuffed a knife and her cell phone in. By the time she had made it out the front of Banshou mansion the limo driver had the door open and waiting. Several vampires were sniffing around him. He was human and smelled faintly of a lycan. Not that the others could smell that. They were probably too busy concentrating on the fact that there was sweet blood pumping through his body. She growled and they caught that he was protected by her. Most backed off.

The man was sweating as she approached. Her hunger spiked but disgust rolled through her stomach at the thought of using his blood. She slid gracefully into the limo and sat quietly. She watched through the darkened windows as the man scurried around to the drivers side.

The ride was uneventful and took about forty-five minutes to achieve. She found herself in front of a luxurious restaurant. It was beautiful, the walls were plaited with glass and shimmered softly in the moonlight reflecting the blue glow emitted from a huge fountain in the front of the building. Water trickled softly the sound pleasant to her ears. She had only been to Jardin d'Eden once before on a mission. It was breathtakingly beautiful and well suited for the likes of any supernatural race. Also quite expensive only the rich and exclusive could afford.

"This way miss. The Lord awaits you." Nodding she followed the nervous driver up the carpet to the doors where a doorman awaited hand poised and ready to open when they were in distance. The doorman was a shifter tiger by the color of his eyes. Dangerously they flickered over her, he didn't bother to hide his obvious attraction letting her feel the aura of his arousal. She ignored him and continued following the man before her. He was rather short with slightly bulbous eyes.

He led her to an elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. As far as she knew the top floor was a private residential area that the owner occupied from time to time. The stout man had to use his thumb print and Kagome almost jumped when a voice spoke out of no where again shutting out the annoying elevator music. "Thank you Jaken." So the little man had a name. Jaken interesting.

Once the elevator arrived to the top it opened quietly to reveal a room huge in it's rite that it took up the entire floor. It had more glass for the ceiling and was very beautiful. There were many pieces of what Kagome knew to be rare art that decorated the room. In the center of the room was a table with candles alight and set for dining.

"You are dismissed Jaken," a lovely baritone sounded from somewhere she couldn't quite pinpoint. The elevator doors sounded a small pop as they closed and she felt hands come around her to caress her sides as a mouth caressed her neck. She bit back a moan.

"It is pleasant to see you again too, darling." She could feel his arousal pressing against her backside. He pulled away. "Let us dine."

He took her hand and led her to a chair at the decorated table. The lights were set on low so the candles flickered over their faces casting shadows. He pulled out the chair and pushed it in once she was sat. Once he sat across from her he gestured to the wineglass filled half an inch to the rim. She picked it up gingerly and sipped from the contents. It was blood, not synthetic and she found she could hold it down.

The night promised to be a good evening filled with the wonderful smell of decadent foods, pleasant conversation, and hopefully hot monkey sex.

* * *

1. feir is grass in Gaelic.

2. I wanted to post this for all of you to see. I think they were some really good questions and I wanted to answer them. Reviewer: Nobodies Perfect-Not Even You

Response:

Your reviews make me smile.

As to Naraku being Kagome's sire it feels right. I have plans for this story. I don't have them all thought out yet and I am taking it one step, er, chapter at a time. I don't really know what I am going to write until I write it. I have ideas of what I want done in the chapters but they are never concrete.

Your observation: Aah Sesshomaru's a little possessive ain't he!!

Indeed, more on this in the next chapter I believe.

Your opinion: I think its a little nasty that Naraku is Kagome's sire. I mean this is Naraku I'm talking about eew!! I hope that Kagome finds away to break her connection with Naraku and starts to go with Sesshomaru.

This is a Sesshomaru/Kagome fic. I haven't decided how I want it to end yet. But it is imperative that they come together at some point. But your observation was one of the two reasons I didn't want to write a full blown lemon in that chapter between Kagome and Naraku, I seriously considered it. I wouldn't have had a problem with it myself. The other reason was I made the chapter long enough to satisfy myself. Length without unnecessary information is crucial to me. I write the things I do for a reason. They have a purpose.

Your question: Is the reason for the war because of Rin?!?! What is she in this fic? I know that she is someone important to Sesshomaru but what exactly was she?

Keep up with the chapters. That is a very interesting and good assumption. You have a wonderful way of thinking.

As to what she is in this fic, the progression of that will develop with the progression of Sesshomaru and Kagome's relationship.

Your question: Did the vampires treat her really bad and Sess said he was going to protect her but in the end he could not save her??

Bad things happen to people. People want revenge. It could be possible. But again more on this will develop with the progression of their relationship.

Your observation: To me it also seems as if Kagome doesn't like the fact that others could change her emotions and make her feelings change to what they want.

Would you like it if someone could get into your head and influence you to do what they want you to do, make you feel what they want you to feel? Not bloody likely for me.

Your opinion: Keep up the good work this fic really keeps me on my toes till the next chapter. So Update Soon Please!

I am already working on the next chapter. I usually write it out, read it, add/edit/delete information, read it and so on until I am fully satisfied I have stayed the course I want this fic to move in. I am trying to update regularly.

I always like to get feedback. It tells me I am being appreciated for what I am doing. Not only do I enjoy writing the chapters, I enjoy hearing what people thought/think of them.

This particular lemon was the hardest most natural thing for me to write. I wanted it in someways to be dark and exotic. I wanted it to give face to the title of my story.

3. Thank you for reading. Please leave a review on your way out. I dearly love to hear from my readers.


	8. Chapter 7: Hauntings

Their departing day seemed to come faster than she anticipated. She found as she was stepping on Sesshomaru's plane she had a lump in her throat and her stomach was giving nervous twitches. Sesshomaru offered to provide the transportation to Ireland. She was going to protest but he insisted and Naraku was already agreeing and shaking his hand bidding him a pleasant flight. Almost too nicely.

Resigning any arguments she had she walked heavily--not stomped as Sesshomaru had put it-- out into the rain from the cover of the entrance of the plane back to the black Sedan holding her baggage.

It was early in the morning and the rain was falling in black sheets all around her whipping her hair into her face and soaking her clothes. The weather wasn't bad enough that they couldn't take off. The sky promised to stay dark long enough to board and take to the skies. They would arrive shortly before dawn. Long enough to get to their hotel rooms, paid for courtesy of Sesshomaru, much to her annoyance, and bed down for the dawn and begin the hunt at night.

Sighing as she stood in the rain staring at the opening into the cabin of the plane Kagome looked at the tips of her black boots. This would be the last time for a while she would breathe Tokyo air, walk on Japanese soil, see Japanese scum at its best. In spite of herself she smiled then stepped up the steps into the cabin.

Sesshomaru's baritone was muffled through the door to the cockpit. Looking around she set her bags on the floor next to the seat she would be in for the next twelve hours. It promised to be comfortable. She spotted a handle that would pull open the hangar to put her luggage. Sesshomaru's was already there.

She sat down and strapped in to await take off. She never was one for flying. Being in a metal box hurtling through the air at indecent speeds where a misplaced air pocket could send you plummeting to the Earths surface to slowly burn in an inferno if the crash itself didn't kill you first. Maybe over exaggerating the situation doesn't help. Putting her morbid thoughts away she went over Dante Paris for what seemed like the millionth time.

Closing her eyes she rested back rigid in the chair and allowed her head to fall back as his image played in her mind and she skimmed through his information, photos of the victims he killed, and information on each of the victims. She almost jumped when her hand was lifted. She opened her eyes to look at Sesshomaru. He had a devilish glint in his eyes. His smile was beautiful and small. His golden eyes reflected her scowl to her and she quickly changed her expression. She watched as he carefully turned her hand over palm up and traced a finger down a line in the center.

Her stomach rose to somewhere above her head. The gesture was solely intimate and like nothing she had ever experienced before. She watched as he closed his eyes and knelt before her. He lifted her outstretched hand to his lips and left a lingering kiss in the center of her palm that traveled rapidly from her hand to spark her heart with a blaze.

Then almost as swiftly as he had claimed her hand he was standing a careful two feet away and looking at her as if it had never happened. The warmth from his touch assured her it was no dream.

"We take off in five minutes." She nodded. "You looked as if you were in deep thought. Care to share what is on your mind?"

"I was just reviewing my information on Dante Paris." She shrugged.

"Ah, yes. The elusive Mr. Paris. His species is uncategorized as of yet. I have never found myself in need of his services. I prefer to take care of matters personally."

Kagome's mind was reeling, "You mean you have met him? Why? Where-"

He placed his finger on her lips to silence her and took a seat next to her with a smile. The plane would take off and it was a good way to take her mind of the anxiety of the flight. "I will tell you all you want to know. My impressions, his work, and whatever I believe is necessary." He folded his hands on his knee and began, "I first met Mr. Paris when I was younger. Early years. He was the prime choice of many prominent men to rid of, ah, annoyances. He was charming in his own way. His scent was muffled and I couldn't get an imprint.

"He was still young in the game. Ex military of some sort. Slipped through the human ranks. He found out at a young age he enjoyed the torture of others and first killed in the most legal sense. He joined the armies of various countries playing the ranks and moving around until he grew bored. He fed on the excitement of the kill. He no longer found that in legal killings where there was no real right or wrong, obscure or not. He like to feel their fear bat against his senses. Eventually he ditched the military and began killing for profit. Minor things over land rights. Nothing big. He came to perfect his art and started killing for bigger people, bigger targets, bigger stakes, and a bigger thrill. He lives in luxury some can't even dream of ever possessing."

"Where does he reside?" She barely noticed the plane began to move, picking up speed for take off.

"I know not. He moves every few years. He has many houses in many different countries, and that was more than a hundred years ago."

"How did you meet him?"

"I believe it was at one of my father's political parties." Sesshomaru chuckled briefly, "Mr. Paris at the time was a close friend of the family. I lost all connection to him upon the death of my father.

Kagome processed this information and added it to the information she already possessed. She put the thoughts aside to be correlated, analyzed, deciphered, and separated, before committing them to memory. Giving more shape to just who Dante Paris was at the time Sesshomaru knew him versus the aspect perceived today.

Then she felt the plane shudder. Seat belts already buckled she gripped the arm rests with white knuckles digging her finger tips in painfully. The pain focused all of her attention so that she wouldn't concentrate on the lift of the plane slicing through the air. The take off was always the worst.

⋆⋆⋆

She had forgot how bad the landing was too. Hadn't even thought about the fact that not only were they leaving the earth but the fact that eventually they would have to return. She shuddered as she picked up her baggage from where a flight attendant had placed them upon their arrival.

Slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder she waited for Sesshomaru to make his pleasantries and make sure their accommodations were ready. She almost jumped when a voice spoke to her left.

"Miss Higurashi please follow me and we can place your bags in the trunk of the car." The man was lengthy and broad, everywhere. She began to wonder how in the hell anything that looked like him would be able to fit in the Sedan she had in mind. He wore a black suit that had to be custom fitted. There was no way anyone made a suit that big.

She could tell he was a human/supernatural mating gone wrong. From his smell horse shifter and human.

Kagome watched as he walked. He had a slight limp and his back was rounded a bit. His features stroked a chord in her but she hid it knowing if roles were switched she wouldn't want sympathy.

"Miss Kagome I will take your bags." They had stopped in front of black Hummer. It looked to be built better for a war than conventional use. She watched as he picked her bags up as if they were empty plastic bags. She admired his strength.

"Thank you, ah," She felt awkward.

"Masomaru."

"Thank you Masomaru."

He led her around to the side of the huge vehicle and opened the door for her to enter. The seats were obviously custom done and were set much like the inside of a limo surrounding the outside leaving the middle of the vehicle open. The front was separated from the back by a thick glass darker than midnight. She sat waiting for Sesshomaru refusing to sleep. There would be plenty time for that.

Her nerves were jittery and she tried to keep her thoughts away from the past. Since she had found she was returning to her homeland after so many years absence her dreams had begun to feature more frequently. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

She opened her satchel and removed her laptop. It would take approximately a half an hour to forty-five minutes to get to their hotel according to the map. Sunrise was due in about an hour.

Sighing Kagome closed her laptop and closed her eyes. She rested her head against the leather of the seat. Slipping in and out dreamlessly. She watched as her past swirled around her.

She couldn't remember much from her youth before the attack. She couldn't even remember her families names anymore. There were times when she thought she had them but they would slip away listlessly back.

Upon her fathers death the lands had left to the closest relative. She had kept tabs on it and had purchased it a few years back when it had come up for auction. From afar she had dictated its restoration to the home f her youth to the best of her memory. She had yet to set foot back into it in fear of the past.

There was no escaping it now. Her resolve hardened and she vowed to have a last look and put it behind her.

She felt like she was falling and jerked awake when a hand came to rest on her shoulder. Immediately her hackles rose and she could feel her teeth against her bottom lip. Immediately she became aware of her hunger.

His eyes reflected in the low light, "We are here."

The vehicle pulled up around a curve to a luxurious front of a hotel. Green covered everywhere from vines to clover. Small candles burned in the windows casting a flicker of light giving it a medieval appearance. It was small almost like a bed and breakfast. It was quaint and slightly feminine.

Like nothing she would have ever assumed Sesshomaru to own.

The staff were efficient and took their baggage to their room. Sesshomaru received bows from servants along the way. She could tell there was a mixture of humans and supernaturals alike. Eyes glittered in the candle light as they walked silently down the wooden floors. Their footsteps echoed a bit muffled. It seemed to pulse in her ears.

They stopped in front of a elegant wooden door that was intricately designed. Most likely hand crafted. A servant pulled the door open and revealed a luxurious room beautifully furnished and stocked for their arrival. Kagome walked in and scanned immediately for danger. She took in everything at once and walked to the bedroom. Standing in the doorway she was a little confused.

"There is only one bed." She felt the heat of his body behind her as he softly breathed his answer.

"Yes." It was heady to her sleep filled brain and sent liquid heat to pool in her belly. "Does it bother you?" She turned to look at him in the face. It was hard and edgy. Had she said something wrong?

"No it's just I thought..." She was at a loss. Of course they were sleeping together but this was a mission. Not some vacation to screw each others brains out. She frowned. "I just didn't realize there would only be one bed," She said lamely.

His eyes seemed to bore through her and sent a shiver down her spine. He spoke lowly, "We will speak of it later."

She watched him stride away from her to speak to the manager of the hotel. Stiffly she sat on the bed and looked around. The bed was huge and soft. She sighed. This wasn't what it was supposed to be like. Cheap motels, even cheaper meals after some really cheap sex. Kill the bad guy and go home.

He was the prince and she was the pauper. Incompatible. She sighed, _Such is life._

Leaving him to do the business end of the deal she closed the curtains to the bed room. She grabbed pajamas from her bag and walked to the bathroom deciding to take a shower.

After the warmth seeped into her bones she found herself staring in the mirror. The fog around her reflection made her look even more gaunt than before. The dark circles under her eyes made her look older.

Picking up her holster and dirty clothes she walked from the bathroom tiptoeing through the bedroom. It was dark and she couldn't make out whether he was in the bed or not. She closed the door that led to the sitting area with an almost inaudible click hoping he wouldn't wake up.

Releasing the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding she turned and found his eyes piercing her soul. He was sitting at the counter clad in sweat pants bare chested. His hair was still wet from his shower in the spare bathroom. She moved away from the handle she had been holding and sat on the couch.

"You're still awake."

"I had some business to attend to." He closed his laptop and pushed it to the side of him. He turned his body towards her, "What are you doing?"

Curiously she looked at him, "What do you mean?"

He stood and walked towards her sitting on the couch. "You mean to leave me after this trip is over." She turned her eyes away from him. Grasping her chin he forced her to look him in the eyes. "You do."

"I," she paused uncertain, "There is nothing here for me. This," She waved her hand, "us. It's not right."

"What is so wrong?" He leveled his voice.

She snorted, "You cannot want me. I am nothing. All of this. It's not for me. There are others more suited for you..your status."

He stared at her saying nothing. "What we shared, share, is wonderful. But it cannot work. There are plenty of lycan females to suit your fancy. I will always be a vampire. That cannot be changed."

"And your need for blood. How will it be sated when I am the only one who can supply." She frowned. How could he know that? His chuckle was dark and throaty, "Yes, you cannot hide from me. You belong to me and no one else."

She closed her eyes and stared hard at the wooden floor. "I can't."

"You will not leave me!" He bellowed it.

"There is no choice! After this I will leave. I wont return to Naraku nor Banshou manner." Her voice quieted, "Things are happening. If anyone were to find out.. I wont be anyones lab rat!"

He was shocked at her outburst. "What things?"

"It's unimportant."

"You will tell me."

"I can't. Trust me. I have to figure this out for myself. I can't be yours. I can't be Naraku's. I don't think I could stand one more night of his touches when I feel this."

"And my touches? What of them." She stared sadly at his thigh. Shaking with his fury he gripped her shoulders and shook her violently, "You are mine woman, I will keep you if I have to kill Naraku myself and chain you to my wall!"

Turning away from him she laid on the couch and curled into herself. She stared blankly at the fabric of the couch and barely felt when he fitted his body to hers and held her to him in the dark of the room away from the morning light.

⋆⋆⋆

The sun had fell below the horizon at a quarter after five. Sesshomaru wasn't around but his presence was felt. He had opened the windows and the night air was cool against her skin. The smell of rain was strong and bled to her soul with each inhalation. She had missed home. More than she had thought.

Slowly she got up and walked to the kitchen and found Sesshomaru sitting at the counter looking off staring at the stove.

"I want to share with you something." He gestured to the seat beside him. She sat. He turned towards her. She could tell he was about to impart something special to him alone by his serious yet strained posture. So she waited in silence for him to continue. She didn't wait long.

"This is difficult. I can't make you understand my feelings anymore than I can understand them. I have been thinking since this morning about the words we spoke. This is new to me. I haven't had an experience like this since my birth. I have never...needed anyone other than my mother." He paused and shifted as if uncomfortable like someone not used to discussing their feelings. He saw the look on her face that spoke volumes of just how unneeded she felt she was.

"Give me your hand." She held it out and he took it putting it against his breast when his heart lay. "Do you feel it beat? It always beats faster when you're near. Always so hard I sometimes think it will pop out." He shook his head in absurdity.

She stared at the picture made. Her hand held by his over his heart, him looking away afraid she might see the embarrassment in his eyes that was lacking on his face. With her other hand she gently turned his head back to face her. His eyes were carefully blank as she searched his face for and dishonesty.

Letting out a breath she leaned forward and kissed him gently with just her lips. Even without the passion it ignited a blaze within him that made his heart feel way too big for his chest. It was burning him from the inside out sending sensations through his veins until he pulled her close and stood hiking her legs around his hips taking her to the bedroom. She still cradled his face with her hands as she kissed him.

They tumbled onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and passion. It was slow and stretched until she was trembling over the precipice with their gentle lovemaking. It was a earth moving moment that would forever blaze in her soul long after both of them were just a memory.

⋆⋆⋆

The moon was not quite at it's peak when they left. Kagome's heart felt lighter than it had in the last few days but it still hung heavy with the location of their destination. She had decided to confront her past and told Sesshomaru not to let her back down no matter what. For her own piece of mind she had to go through with it.

The house had been renovated to her specifications. It was just as she remembered it. White with wooden trimmings, the grass longer and swaying gently with the cool night breeze, the woods to the back of the house with the barn blocking the west grove. The fence around the land was repaired with newer posts still lighter in color and unfaded like the older ones. The door made of sturdy wood was newer and glossy with finish, replaced from the old brittle first. Windows glittered in the night with the shine of the moon.

She felt Sesshomaru's hand gripping hers with strong confidence. She looked at him before squeezing once to let go and reach for the key the caretaker had provided for her when she had called him earlier.

Taking a deep steadying breath she slid the key in and turned it until the lock clicked open. Turning the handle the door glided smoothly open to reveal the kitchen with glossy wooden floors. The stove was the same old pot belly stove that her mother used to cook in for her family. The table was newer. Indoor plumbing had been installed and despite the old style of the furniture, kept the homey feeling it had always given.

The old lighting had been replaced with one more contemporary and she flipped the switch on the wall where the caretaker had told her was.

"Are we going to stand in the doorway all night until dawn or walk in?" Kagome jumped a little at having forgotten he was so close. Nodding she entered and shut the door after him putting the lock back into place. All the old family utensils had been replaced with sparkling silver and wooden bowls with plastic replacements. She would have to ask later where the old stuff was. She had ordered none to be thrown out but if so desired it could be replaced with new and the old stored.

Her heart jumped suddenly to her throat with an exciting new thought. What if the answers to her current problems were in this house waiting for her to discover them? Where would they be? Where to look first?

Curious about the rest of the house Kagome stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room where the windows let in the glow of the moon illuminating the room. She flipped the switch next to the opening and blinked as a bright glittering chandelier winked into silver existence. The fire place had been refurbished and the chimney replaced with a more sound and sturdy one. Dried wood had been placed in the cradle as if waiting for the master to come home on a cold wintry night and light it for warmth. The thing that had kept them all warm in even the more frigid weather.

Running her hand over the jagged stones piled to make the fire place she turned to see the gleaming new staircase that replaced the one her father had put in by hand when his wife had told him she wanted a family.

The love for her he built with his own two hands for her. The memory was in the wood. Something it would never forget no matter how many fixings were done.

Closing her eyes she could almost smell the wood burning as a fire roared delightfully in the hearth.

She could feel the tears building inside her filled with her longing for the past she had all but forgotten pushed aside in her want for peace from what she could not change but still continued to haunt her in her dreams.

It is often said the hearth is the heart of the home and now she believed that more than ever.

Sesshomaru extended his hand to her and offered his embrace to comfort her from the ghosts of her pasts.

She was glad she shared this with him. Maybe in a few days when she got her bearings back she could think about looking around the rest of the house. Maybe even long before she ventured up the stairs to where it all happened.

She wondered briefly if she would smell the bittersweet tang of the blood in the wood, the smoke from the fire, the sickly sweet smell of fear because after all, a house never forgets.


End file.
